Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP David Mundell has welcomed a range of measures is being planned to tackle the issue of nuisance phone calls.
Regulators are to get more power to act against companies responsible, while cold callers will not be allowed to conceal their number - making reporting unwanted calls easier.
A licensing system for call centres may also be introduced in the future.
Recent research from Ofcom found 82% of people had received an unwanted phone call and on average received two such ‘nuisance’ calls a week.
“I am always being told by concerned constituents that they are receiving nuisance calls, often at inconvenient times. When answering such unsolicited calls the public often find there is no-one on the line, and this is especially upsetting for the elderly for whom these calls can cause anxiety, inconvenience and distress. Contacting the Telephone Preference Service can also help in reducing some of these unwanted calls and these new measures should help enhance this service further,” added the local MP.
The measures being taken include lowering the threshold for number of calls before enforcement action is taken and allowing Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office to more easily share information.
There will also be clarification of the process for opting out of receiving marketing calls and reporting unwanted calls.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) strategy paper also flags up fines for breaching rules covering premium rate phone numbers and agreeing an industry code to deal with unexpectedly high mobile phone bills when a phone has been stolen or lost.