The British public need to be able to trust the institutions that serve them. That is why a central part of the Home Office\u2019s fraud response is blocking the communications individuals use to impersonate organisations and institutional bodies.<\/p>
In 2019, in collaboration with the banking and telecoms sectors, Ofcom created the \u2018Do Not Originate\u2019(DNO) list. It contains over 12,000 phone numbers which are blocked so they cannot be used by fraudsters. This list has successfully protected the public from fraudulent calls and is regularly updated in partnership with the telecommunications sector. The UK\u2019s National Cyber Security Centre also operates the NCSC Takedown Service, which works with host providers to remove email addresses and websites impersonating UK Government brands and services.<\/p>
The forthcoming Online Safety Bill will also give regulators the powers they need to force social media companies to do more to block fraud on their platforms, including fraudulent advertising. These measures will disrupt criminals\u2019 efforts to exploit these platforms to defraud the British public.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4503", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Philp"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon South"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Philp"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-09-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-09-20T11:38:56.787Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-09-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Personation"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure individuals fraudulently impersonating positions of authority do not undermine trust in (a) the police, (b) financial regulators, (c) ombudsmans and (d) other state institutions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4638", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Slough"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi"} ], "uin" : "199407"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1020227", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1020227/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice. Winter service and maintenance, including ensuring adequate grit supplies, is therefore the responsibility of the relevant highway authority. Roads in Northern Ireland are a devolved matter, but there too it is a matter for the highway authority to ensure that it has an adequate supply of road grit to treat the roads for which it is responsible.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department for Transport has taken a number of steps to ensure highway authorities in England enter the 2018/19 winter season well prepared. This includes monitoring the amount of road grit being held around the country throughout the winter season, working closely with the UK domestic road grit producers and maintaining a substantial national emergency road grit reserve.<\/p>
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The Department for Transport has written to all highway authorities in England, outside London, reminding them of their responsibilities during the winter season and the letter is available at the following weblink:<\/p>