Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of compelling companies that provide services to the public to maintain (a) clear and (b) accessible channels for customer complaints.

Businesses are required under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to provide contact information in a clear and comprehensible manner which is easily, directly and permanently accessible. This includes the business name, the geographical address where the business is established, a telephone number, and email address.

Government expects businesses to treat consumers fairly and provide channels for complaints. However, the specific mechanisms they use to provide customer services is a commercial decision that the government does not normally seek to intervene in.