§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what work her Department is doing with banks to improve the security of internet banking. [136170]
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§ Mr. TimmsSecurity of Internet Banking services is a matter for the individual banks concerned and falls within the overall regime for the conduct of banking operations which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Department promotes the security of business processes and transactions generally and is thus in regular contact with individual banks and the Association for Payment and Clearing Services (APACS). The banking sector has been an important contributor to the development of tScheme which is committed to improving trust in electronic commerce. TScheme was created in response to the Electronic Communications Act 2000.
The financial sector, including internet banking, is one of the business sectors targeted as part of the UK's critical information infrastructure policy which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. I understand that there are regular contacts between the banking sector and the National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre to develop and implement policy in this area.