SCOTS Tory Stephen Kerr has been accused of trying to take credit for progress made by the SNP to get nuisance phone calls banned.
The row broke out yesterday after the Stirling MP and hardline Brexiteer introduced a bill in the Commons to get measures in place to curb the annoying calls.
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But the SNP’s consumer affairs spokeswoman Patricia Gibson was furious, suspecting he was bringing in the legislation belatedly after ministers had already indicated a willingness to act after a long running campaign she had mounted.
Powers to regulate marketing calls are reserved and Gibson introduced a bill in 2016 which proposed holding company bosses personally responsible for them. Her private member’s bill sought to give the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) the power to act against named directors of companies found to have made unsolicited calls in breach of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
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It received the backing of the UK Government with a pledge to implement it on the 1 April 2017, before ministers later mysteriously kicked it into the long grass.
The SNP took up the issue again earlier this year, and was assured in a meeting with Culture and Media Secretary Nick Hancock that the government was committing to taking the actions Gibson had proposed.
“Nuisance calls and scam sellers affect millions of people across the UK, and the issue is a serious cause of concern for elderly and vulnerable people – both in my constituency and right across the UK,” she said.
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“However, rather than working together with MPs across Westminster, it’s disappointing to see the UK Government and Scottish Tory MPs playing politics, and turning their backs on this longstanding campaign, and in essence plagiarise and lift provisions from my Bill.
“The SNP has been campaigning relentlessly on the blight of nuisance calls and I welcomed the constructive meeting I had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport earlier this year to bring forward provisions to tackle nuisance calls.
"Unfortunately, the power to regulate in this area still lies with the UK Government, who have thus far failed to take the necessary steps. I, along with my colleagues, will continue to push the UK government to make good their promises to act on nuisance calls, and seek to work with other parties and MPs to relieve the stress and harm caused.
"A new Bill plagiarising my own is unnecessary. We all know what needs to be done and it is time for the Tories to get on and do it.”
Stephen Kerr said: “I have been campaigning on this issue in Parliament for months – clearly claims that I am taking credit for the work of others are absolutely false.
“This Bill was introduced with cross-party support, including from SNP MPs. This is not about playing politics, but rather about helping constituents who are blighted by these calls.
“I was delighted to introduce my Bill today and hope it will encourage the Government to take further action. Only by working constructively with ministers will we bring about a meaningful change.”
The row echoes a previous one between the SNP and Scots Tories over who was responsible for the UK Government’s decision to exempt Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue from an annual £30 million VAT bill.
The SNP had long campaigned on the matter but the Scots Tories said it was pressure from them that persuaded Chancellor Philip Hammond to change his mind and scrap the payments in his 2017 Autumn statement.
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