article: Currently, they can be punished only if unsolicited calls cause "substantial damage" to householders. Ministers will also consult on imposing heftier fines. Some consumer groups say the measures do not go far enough. The Information Commissioner's Office received 120,310 complaints about "unsolicited marketing calls" from April-November 2013. It is illegal for companies to call domestic numbers registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). The Telephone Preference Service runs a register that allows people to opt out of any unsolicited sales or marketing calls. Individuals can register free of charge by visiting the website. Or they can call 0845 070 0707. It takes 28 days for registration to become effective. Mobile phone numbers can also be registered, although this will not prevent unsolicited text messages. It is a legal requirement that all organisations - including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties - do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have the individual's consent to do so. Telephone Preference Service The rules do not apply when people consent to their details being used for marketing purposes. But BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam said members of the public continued to get unwanted calls - often pre-recorded - despite being registered with the TPS. That was because not all companies were members of the Direct Marketing Association - the UK telemarketing industry body - some were overseas and some were "good old-fashioned fraudsters" out to steal money, he said. The problem of unwanted calls may never be fully eradicated, he added. Repeat offenders include firms inquiring about mis-sold payment protection insurance. Firms which flout the TPS rules can currently be fined up to Â£500,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office. Those which break media regulator Ofcom rules on silent and abandoned calls face fines of up to Â£2m. Critics say the system is not working because rules on enforcement are skewed in favour of rogue firms. Under Culture Secretary Maria Miller's plans, the current "substantial damage" threshold could be lowered. They would also make it simpler for regulators such as Ofcom, the Insolvency Service and the Information Commissioner's Office to swap data about who the offenders might be. And the Ministry of Justice will launch a consultation on Monday on whether firms that break the rules should face fines of up to 20% of their annual turnover. "Nuisance calls must stop," Ms Miller said. "At best they are an irritation and an unwanted intrusion; at worst they cause real distress and fear, particularly to the elderly or housebound. "People need to feel safe and secure in their homes. "The rules are clear - people have the right to choose not to receive unsolicited marketing calls. We will work to ensure their choice is respected." Which? executive director Richard Lloyd welcomed the plans saying he hoped regulators would now be given "the tools to get rid of the unwanted calls that millions of us are getting bombarded with". "But we've got to be honest about this - some of this is firms that are operating overseas," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
summary: The government is planning to make it easier to fine firms that hound members of the public with nuisance calls.