§ Mr. OatenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many complaints concerning telephone fraud her Department has received in each of the last three years. [20965]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 16 December 1997]: From readily available records, I can state that my Department received one complaint concerning telephone fraud in 1995, five complaints in 1996 and two complaints in 1997.
§ Mr. OatenTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will establish a public inquiry into domestic telephone fraud. [20966]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 16 December 1997]: Oftel has over the past year carried out detailed investigations with BT into complaints of organised network fraud on telephone services. Oftel is continuing its investigations but has no evidence of organised network fraud. I am confident that Oftel take network security issues very seriously. My Department therefore has no plans at present to establish a public inquiry into domestic telephone fraud.