Funding of £75,000 has been added to the £50,000 already ear marked by the Scottish Government to tackle what is a serious problem for vulnerable people.
Paul Wheelhouse,Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy in the Scottish Government said:
“This additional funding will ensure that over 1,200 of Scotland’s most vulnerable citizens are now protected from the threat of scam callers. Trading Standards Scotland will distribute the new call blockers and will work closely with local authorities and third sector organisations so that the units go where they are needed most.”
“The power to legislate in this area is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government shares the frustration of those affected that there has been a lack of legislative progress to date, but we will continue to press UK Ministers to do more to stop nuisance calls, including exploring a model which automatically opts people out of unwanted calls and greater powers to prosecute those companies who are found to be responsible.
The Nuisance Calls Commission was established in November 2016. Its remit was to explore practical solutions to reduce the impact and volume of nuisance calls. The outcome of the collaborative work has resulted in the Scottish Government’s Nuisance Call Action Plan .
How will the call blocking units be distributed?
Trading Standards Scotland will distribute the call blocking units, building on good practice already developed with social work, healthcare and charitable agencies so help goes where it’s most needed.
Information from Citizens Advice on How to Stop Nuisance Calls
The best way to stop nuisance calls is to register your number with the Telephone Preference Service – they’ll add you to their list of numbers that don’t want to receive sales and marketing calls. You can also call them to register on 0345 070 0707.
It’s illegal for a company to call numbers registered with the Telephone Preference Service, so registering should scare companies away and stop them bothering you.
It’s a free service and it’s easy to register. You’ll need your phone number, postcode and an email address to sign up on the Telephone Preference Service website. You can also sign up from your mobile by texting ‘TPS’ and your email address to 85095.
If you get nuisance calls after you’ve registered with the Telephone Preference Service, it may be because you gave the caller your number. Tell the individual caller you don’t want to be contacted again, and they should stop calling you.
Additional information
Scottish cities top the table for nuisance calls via Which