Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle fake adverts for the sale of farm machinery.

Under the Online Safety Act, user-to-user services and search services in scope must respectively prevent and minimise illegal fraudulent content from appearing on their platforms and swiftly remove it if it does. Services designated as Category 1 or 2A (the largest user-to-user and search services) will have additional duties to tackle paid-for fraudulent advertising, either where it appears on their service or is accessed in or via search results.

Work has also begun to develop a new Fraud Strategy, with Ministers working closely with law enforcement, consumer groups and business on how to best defeat this epidemic and protect the public.