Swinney: Independent Scotland 'would tighten regulation on cold calling' There would be a crackdown on "unscrupulous" companies who make nuisance calls in an independent Scotland, finance secretary John Swinney has revealed. Tougher regulation would be implemented as part of reforms to protect the most vulnerable customers, Mr Swinney said. Some of the options an independent Scotland may consider while working with consumer groups and business are; the introduction of a mandatory code of business practice, ensuring regulators can levy penalties on "rogue" businesses and making companies responsible for compliance by placing legal requirements on them to prove they have consent for carrying out cold calls. Mr Swinney said: "Research shows that the high volume of unwanted calls we receive has left almost 60% of people too intimidated to answer the telephone in their own homes. This is particularly true for older and vulnerable people. This is not acceptable. The Scottish Government wants to cut off nuisance calls for good, but the Scottish Information Commissioner currently has no jurisdiction to intervene. We agree with Ofcom and Which? that the current plans by the UK Government do not go far enough to protect people from the stress and inconvenience of cold calling. We must take action to stop unscrupulous companies continuing to target the vulnerable. An independent Scotland with decision-making powers would better serve and protect consumers through regulation, tough enforcement and working with industry to tackle the problem. In a month 85% of people in the UK received an unsolicited call and 8% of these had more than 50 unwanted calls or more, according to research carried out by consumer group Which?. Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said he welcomed the plans to put consumers at the heart of regulation. We understand the desire for a simpler, more focused system and, whatever form it ultimately takes, we want to see regulators that are proactive and that put consumers first. We fully support the way the Scottish Government is consulting with consumers in developing these proposals and will continue to work closely with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth.  Last week it was announced that an independent Scotland would also bring stricter regulation for the payday loan industry with the introduction of a system to cap interest rates and prevent debts "rolling over."