Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that online retailers comply with consumers’ statutory rights, including the 14-day cancellation period for online purchases.

The Government is committed to ensuring that consumers can shop online with confidence. Consumers making purchases online benefit from a 14-day cancellation period. We have strengthened enforcement through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which provides the Competition and Markets Authority with stronger powers to tackle breaches of consumer law.

Trading Standards services are provided by local authorities and supported nationally by National Trading Standards. The Government confirmed last week longer term plans to overhaul the wider consumer protection landscape. This will examine how organisations like Citizens Advice and Trading Standards can work more effectively with regulators, enforcement bodies and redress schemes so that harmful practices are addressed more quickly, and consumers can access support more easily.