Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution arrangements for micro and small businesses in disputes with telecommunications providers.

Small businesses should feel confident they are treated fairly when buying telecoms services. Ofcom’s General Conditions provide important protections, including on clear contract information, contract summaries, termination rights, contract length and access to alternative dispute resolution.

In April 2026, the Government designated its Statement of Strategic Priorities that emphasised that Ofcom should continue to ensure that businesses across the country, including those in rural areas, are able to access the fast, reliable, and resilient broadband services they need to thrive. The regulator should work to ensure a healthy business connectivity market is treated as a priority.

Government has not made a separate assessment with Ofcom on mis-selling complaints and monitoring compliance, and enforcement are matters for Ofcom. However, Ofcom has provided data showing small business mis-selling complaints of 357 in 2024, 273 in 2025, and 123 in 2026 as of 14 September, representing a gradual decrease over a 3-year period.