A cap will be put on the bills of lost or stolen mobile phones, a government minister has pledged. Culture Secretary Maria Miller revealed the cap would come into play from spring 2014, after the policy was on Monday agreed by all seven of the leading operators, namely Vodafone, BT, Birgin Media, TalkTalk, Sky and EE. Monday also saw the seven companies agree to end roaming charges by 2016. The government, which also unveiled plans to prevent network operators upping charges without warning, is "ensuring hard-working families are not hit with shock bills through no fault of their own", Miller explained. "Families can be left struggling if carefully planned budgets are blown away by unexpected bills from a stolen mobile or a mid-contract price rise."The cap is expected to be around the £50 mark, in line with the limit placed on lost or stolen credit and debit cards. Consumer Affairs Minister Jo Swinson, added: "The last thing you need after the hassle of a stolen mobile is to find that someone has used it and landed you with a sky-high bill too."Phone companies have listened to government and to their customers and I welcome their agreement to protect them from unexpected costs."NR