Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of unspecified price increases in fixed-term telecoms contract on consumers; and whether her Department has had discussions with Ofcom about reviewing the regulation of such increases.

It is imperative that people feel empowered when interacting with the telecoms market and that they can be confident they are getting a fair deal.

The Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom’s CEO on 31 October to seek Ofcom’s assessment of existing consumer protections and to explore what could be done further and faster on transparent and fair pricing. The Secretary of State has also met with consumer advocate Martin Lewis of MoneySavingExpert, to discuss issues raised in the letter and ideas to further strengthen protections for ordinary people.