<p>The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not hold data on incidences of telecommunications companies switching a consumer from one company to another without their knowledge or consent. However, Ofcom does record the number of complaints it receives about fixed-line mis-selling and slamming (including erroneous transfers).</p><p>There has been a significant reduction in complaints about slamming since the introduction of General Condition 24 in 2010—the rule which governs sales and marketing of landline telecoms services and provides greater protection for consumers by enabling Ofcom to take swift and effective action against offending companies. Since 2010, complaints about slamming have fallen from an average of 647 complaints a month to an average of 184 complaints a month in 2013.</p><p>Around 46% of incidents where consumers complain they have been switched with no knowledge or consent are a result of erroneous transfers. 2.8 million switches take place each year over BT's copper network. Ofcom estimates that approximately 4.2% of these homes were affected by the wrong line being switch in 2012-13.</p><p>The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not made any assessment of the effect of unintentional phone slamming on small and medium-sized enterprises, although in both representations to the Department and in complaints to Ofcom there is anecdotal evidence of the harm that small and medium-sized enterprises can be caused when slamming occurs. That is why the system of safeguards exist to recover the situation as soon as possible when an incidence of unintentional slamming occurs, why, (for example) agreed industry practice is that a previously allocated business number that becomes free when switching or slamming takes place should not be reallocated for a period of 14 months and why the prohibition and deterrent fines are in place where slamming is other than unintentional or erroneous.</p>