I’ve written about nuisance calls before but now the government’s Culture, Media and Sport committee is also calling for change to these dubious marketing practices.

In its recent report it said the challenge is curtailing nuisance calls and texts for marketing purposes and fraud, while allowing legitimate unsolicited calls.

One of the key features which gives rise to unwanted calls, the committee has concluded, is the unfair processing of personal data.

This is the practice of obtaining a customer’s ‘consent’ in ways that are unclear and sometimes dishonest. The Information Commis-sioner already has powers to deal with this; but the committee says he should use them more.

The committee also believes that caller display should be a free service and has called on companies who don’t offer the service to do so.

“In particular, we deeply regret BT’s recent decision to begin charging explicitly for caller display,” the report says.

Members recommend the introduction of a single online complaints form and, for those without internet access, a single nuisance calls helpline, staffed by existing regulators which should be advertised on telephone bills.