Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to encourage businesses to promote customer contact by providing (a) phone numbers (b) email addresses (c) live chat for customers and (d) multiple contact options.

The Government expects all businesses to treat their consumers fairly. Businesses are required under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to provide contact information in a clear and comprehensible manner which is easily, directly and permanently accessible. This includes the business name, the geographical address where the business is established, a telephone number, and email address.

As long as businesses comply with this requirement, the mechanisms they use to provide customer services is a commercial decision that the government does not normally seek to intervene in.