Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department plan to take to improve consumer protection for victims of rogue traders who are no longer able to make contact in order to gain redress.

The Government will bring forward the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill in this session of Parliament. The legislation includes measures that will considerably strengthen the UK's consumer protection framework, such as introducing civil fines for traders that infringe consumer protection law.

Furthermore, the Department funds the Citizens Advice consumer service, which provides advice on general consumer issues, online or by phone. They can provide help and information on consumer rights, how to find trusted traders, using Alternate Dispute Resolution, and making a claim in the court. They provide referrals to partner consumer organisations for additional help or enforcement, such as Trading Standards.