Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure adequate accountability measures for telecom providers that help facilitate fraud.

Tackling fraud is a priority for the government and we recognise the impact that being a victim of fraud has on people. The Government works closely with Ofcom and industry and recently published the second Telecommunications Fraud Sector Charter – actions in the charter include collaborative data sharing to tackle fraud and raising customer awareness.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator for telecoms, is also taking steps to ensure providers are taking the necessary steps to protect consumers from fraud. This includes a current consultation on protecting customers from international numbers which imitate UK mobile numbers.