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Written question asked by Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative) on Friday, 9 October 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. It was answered by Kate Dearden (Labour) on Monday, 19 October 2026 on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.


Prices

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2026 to Question 13862 on Prices, in how many regulated areas income-based pricing is used for consumer goods and services.

Answer

The Department is not responsible for determining where income-based pricing is appropriate for consumer goods and services in regulated sectors.

However, regulators are able to oversee targeted social tariffs or assistance packages for low-income or vulnerable groups, for example, in broadband, water and energy.

More broadly, the Department focuses on protecting consumers through legislation such as the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to maintain broad price transparency and curb deceptive pricing practices across all income tiers. This includes cracking down on drip pricing, misleading online countdown timers, and hidden booking fees.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
32050
Session
2026-27
Related items
Prices
Wednesday, 8 July 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Personal income Prices Utilities
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk