Government and Labour to keep talking on details of CMC cold-calling ban


Cold-calling: Labour wants to extend ban

The government has agreed to further talks with the Labour opposition about the nature of the proposed ban on cold-calling by claims management companies (CMCs).

The Financial Guidance and Claims Bill had its twice-delayed report and third reading earlier this week with the two sides yet to agree on whether the government’s proposed ban goes far enough.

The clause the government inserted during the bill’s committee stage prohibited live unsolicited direct marketing telephone calls in relation to claims management activities, except where the recipient has given explicit consent to receiving such calls.

Labour put forward an alternative, seemingly more extensive, ban supported by the likes of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and Association of British Travel Agents.

This included other means of communication, such as texts, and would ban the use of any data obtained by cold calling.

During the debate, Labour frontbench spokesman Jack Dromey called for a total ban on cold calling. “Around 51 million personal injury-related calls and texts are sent by regulated claims management companies each year. The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers has long called for a ban on personal injury cold calls from CMCs, especially as solicitors themselves are already banned from cold calling.

“Ironically, only recently, the justice secretary said that there would be a ‘forthcoming ban on cold calling’ when discussing personal injury claims. If the justice secretary believes that there is a forthcoming ban, why do we not act now and include it in this bill?”

Labour MP Ruth George added that PI cold calling by CMCs “would be a far more effective method of reducing costs for insurance and personal injury than the government’s proposals… to limit the injury compensation due to innocent victims, as well as to those who are not innocent”.

With time at a premium in the debate, Mr Dromey said he would not press Labour’s amendments if the government was prepared to discuss the issue before the bill concluded its passage through Parliament.

Treasury minister John Glen said they would “continue to have a meaningful dialogue on the outstanding concerns that exist between us”.

The bill enters the ‘ping pong’ stage next week, during which the differences between the bill agreed in the House of Lords and the one passed by the House of Commons are sorted out. This will be the last opportunity to amend the cold-calling ban.

Tags:




Leave a Comment

By clicking Submit you consent to Legal Futures storing your personal data and confirm you have read our Privacy Policy and section 5 of our Terms & Conditions which deals with user-generated content. All comments will be moderated before posting.

Required fields are marked *
Email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Blog


The SRA – an unprecedented crisis of confidence

Be in no doubt that yesterday marked the deepest crisis that the Solicitors Regulation Authority has ever faced. It needs to show humility and accountability.


Ten questions to ask a potential financial planning partner

The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s codes of conduct are clear how crucial proper due diligence is when assessing third-party partners.


Seasonal law firm marketing: is it worth it?

Marketing is essential for any law firm looking to attract clients and build its brand. One such strategy that has gained traction in recent years is seasonal marketing.


Loading animation