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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of protections for consumers shopping online via (a) Facebook, (b) Twitter, (c) Instagram and (d) other social media platforms.

There is a robust legislative framework to protect consumers. This includes providing consumers the right to a refund within 14 days for most online purchase, for any reason. The Government keeps this legal framework under review to ensure consumers remain adequately protected.

Consumers should report any problems to the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133, www.citizensadvice.org/. The helpline offers free advice to consumers on their rights and can refer on complaints to Trading Standards for further appropriate enforcement action.

In order to ensure consumers have the right protections when using large digital platforms, the Government has also agreed to set up a new Digital Markets Unit in the Competition and Markets Authority. We will consult on the powers of the unit later this year.