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109

 

House of Commons

 
 

Tuesday 11 March 2014

 

Public Bill Committee

 

New Amendments handed in are marked thus Parliamentary Star

 

Parliamentary Star - whiteAmendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

 

Consumer Rights Bill


 

Note

 

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the

 

Committee [11 February 2014].

 


 

Jenny Willott

 

76

 

Schedule  5,  page  65,  line  13,  after ‘under’, insert ‘—(a)’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment and amendments 77 to 86 reflect the fact that enforcement action is sometimes

 

taken under legislation under which the enforcer’s legislation is made, not under the enforcer’s

 

legislation itself. For example, a breach of safety regulations under the Consumer Protection Act

 

1987 is an offence under that Act not the regulations.

 

Jenny Willott

 

77

 

Schedule  5,  page  65,  line  14,  at end insert ‘, or

 

(b)    

legislation under which the enforcer’s legislation is made.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.

 

Stella Creasy

 

Stephen Doughty

 

104

 

Schedule  5,  page  74,  line  37,  leave out sub-paragraphs (3) to (5).’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 11 March 2014                  

110

 

Consumer Rights Bill, continued

 
 

Jenny Willott

 

78

 

Schedule  5,  page  84,  line  9,  leave out ‘under that legislation’ and insert ‘by the

 

enforcer’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

79

 

Schedule  5,  page  84,  line  10,  leave out ‘under the enforcer’s legislation’ and insert

 

‘by the enforcer’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

80

 

Schedule  5,  page  87,  line  7,  after ‘enforce’, insert—

 

‘(ca)    

legislation under which legislation mentioned in paragraph (c) is made,’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.

 

Stella Creasy

 

Stephen Doughty

 

103

 

Schedule  5,  page  87,  line  28,  at end insert—

 

‘(45A)  

The Secretary of State shall within three months of Royal Assent of this Act

 

produce a report on the effect of an area enforcer, in order to protect

 

consumers, to—

 

(a)    

issue enforcement orders, as set out in Part 8 of the Enterprise Act

 

2002, for traders who persistently cause detriment within a local area;

 

and;

 

(b)    

enable the disclosure to consumers and other interested parties without

 

legal liability of complaints they have received regarding traders

 

when—

 

(i)    

a consumer has consented to their contact details and the

 

nature of their complaint being shared with others who wish

 

to raise concerns about a trader; and

 

(ii)    

the area enforcer considers the behaviour of the trader to have

 

breached consumer protection regulations and it is in the

 

public interest for their conduct to be known.’.

 

Jenny Willott

 

81

 

Schedule  5,  page  87,  line  36,  at end insert—

 

‘(aa)    

an offence under legislation under which legislation within paragraph (a)

 

is made,’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

82

 

Schedule  5,  page  87,  line  42,  after ‘(a)’, insert ‘, (aa)’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 11 March 2014                  

111

 

Consumer Rights Bill, continued

 
 

Jenny Willott

 

83

 

Schedule  5,  page  88,  line  7,  at end insert—

 

‘(aa)    

an offence under legislation under which legislation within paragraph (a)

 

is made,’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

84

 

Schedule  5,  page  88,  line  9,  after ‘(a)’, insert ‘ or (aa)’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

85

 

Schedule  5,  page  88,  line  17,  at end insert—

 

‘(aa)    

an offence under legislation under which legislation within paragraph (a)

 

is made,’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

86

 

Schedule  5,  page  88,  line  19,  after ‘(a)’, insert ‘ or (aa)’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 76 also applies to this amendment.

 


 

Jenny Willott

 

87

 

Schedule  6,  page  92,  line  17,  at end insert—

 

‘44A      

In section 44(4) (service of documents)—

 

(a)    

omit “28(2) or”, and

 

(b)    

omit “purchased or” in each place.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment makes a consequential amendment to section 44(4) of the Consumer Protection

 

Act 1987 which is necessary following the repeal of section 28 of that Act by the Bill.

 

Jenny Willott

 

88

 

Schedule  6,  page  95,  line  5,  leave out ‘(h),’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment modifies the amendments to the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 following

 

the proposal to retain specific powers within section 29(4) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987

 

and regulation 22(4) of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. Those specific powers will

 

now be carved out of the repeals in the 2001 Act.

 

Jenny Willott

 

89

 

Schedule  6,  page  95,  line  5,  leave out ‘(o),’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 11 March 2014                  

112

 

Consumer Rights Bill, continued

 
 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 88 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

90

 

Schedule  6,  page  95,  line  5,  at end insert—

 

‘(aa)    

in paragraph (h) for “29” substitute “29(4)”,

 

(ab)    

in paragraph (o) for “22” substitute “22(4)”,’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 88 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

91

 

Schedule  6,  page  95,  line  34,  leave out paragraph (g).

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 88 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

92

 

Schedule  6,  page  95,  line  36,  leave out ‘first and second paragraphs’ and insert

 

‘first paragraph’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 88 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

93

 

Schedule  6,  page  95,  line  40,  at end insert—

 

  ‘(2A)  

In paragraph 45 for “29(4), (5) and (6)” substitute “29(4)”.

 

    (2B)  

In the second paragraph 73G for “22(4) to (6)” substitute “22(4)”.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 88 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

94

 

Schedule  6,  page  96,  line  2,  leave out ‘3, 4A,’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 88 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

95

 

Schedule  6,  page  96,  line  2,  leave out ‘8, 9A,’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 88 also applies to this amendment.

 

Jenny Willott

 

96

 

Schedule  6,  page  96,  line  2,  at end insert—

 

  ‘(2A)  

In paragraph 3 for “29” in each place substitute “29(4)”.

 

    (2B)  

In paragraph 4A—

 

(a)    

for “23” substitute “22(4)”, and

 

(b)    

for “22” substitute “22(4)”.

 

    (2C)  

In paragraph 8 for “29” in each place substitute “29(4)”.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 11 March 2014                  

113

 

Consumer Rights Bill, continued

 
 

    (2D)  

In paragraph 9A—

 

(a)    

for the first “22” substitute “22(4)”, and

 

(b)    

for “products under regulations 22 of those Regulations.” substitute

 

“those items, as it applies to the seizure and detention of products

 

under regulation 22(4) of those Regulations.”’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

The explanatory statement for amendment 88 also applies to this amendment. This amendment also

 

makes changes to remedy pre-existing errors in paragraphs 4A and 9A of Schedule 2 to the Crim­

 

inal Justice and Police Act 2001

 

Jenny Willott

 

97

 

Schedule  6,  page  97,  line  11,  at end insert—

 

‘Fireworks Act 2003 (c. 22)

 

79A(1)  

Section 12 of the Fireworks Act 2003 (enforcement) is amended as follows.

 

      (2)  

In subsection (2)—

 

(a)    

omit paragraph (a), and

 

(b)    

in paragraph (b), for “29(1) to (5), (6)(a) and (7)” substitute “29(4) and

 

(7)”.

 

      (3)  

After subsection (2) insert—

 

“(2A)    

For the investigatory powers available to a local weights and measures

 

authority for the purposes of the duty to enforce imposed by virtue of

 

subsection (1) (in addition to the powers in Part 4 of the Consumer

 

Protection Act 1987), see Schedule 5 to the Consumer Rights Act

 

2014.”’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment introduces consequential amendments to the Fireworks Act 2003 so as to remove

 

references within the 2003 Act to those parts of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 which are to be

 

repealed and instead insert a reference to the generic set of investigatory powers contained within

 

the Bill.

 


 

Stella Creasy

 

Stephen Doughty

 

106

 

Clause  79,  page  42,  line  12,  at end insert—

 

‘(1A)    

Within three months of Royal Assent of this Act, the Secretary of State shall set

 

out guidance on requiring all statutory regulators to provide—

 

(a)    

formal representation for consumers on all governance bodies;

 

(b)    

an annual competition and consumer rights health check within their

 

industry which has been approved by the Consumer Association; and

 

(c)    

periodic consideration of whether there is a need for independent advice,

 

free at the point of delivery, to ensure consumers’ rights are protected, in

 

which case the Secretary of State shall review the case for the

 

introduction of levies to support this provision.’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 11 March 2014                  

114

 

Consumer Rights Bill, continued

 
 

Stella Creasy

 

Stephen Doughty

 

105

 

Clause  79,  page  42,  line  14,  at end insert—

 

‘(3)    

For the purposes of the enhanced consumer measures set out in Schedule 7 the

 

Secretary of State shall publish a review of the powers of Trading Standards

 

Officers to consider—

 

(a)    

the number of enforcement actions by Trading Standards taken under the

 

enhanced consumer protections set out in this Act;

 

(b)    

any additional operational costs to Trading Standards Services associated

 

with the new powers and procedures under sections 77 and 79 of this Act;

 

and

 

(c)    

the establishment of a statutory minimum standard for all officers

 

carrying out Trading Standards functions in any local authority and the

 

role of a competent body to set, test against, apply and monitor those

 

standards.’.

 

Stella Creasy

 

Stephen Doughty

 

107

 

Clause  79,  page  42,  line  14,  at end insert—

 

‘(3)    

The Secretary of State shall publish an annual assessment of the cumulative

 

impact of public policy in the area of consumer rights on household bills and on

 

affordability, with particular regard for low income households.’.

 

Stella Creasy

 

Stephen Doughty

 

108

 

Clause  79,  page  42,  line  14,  at end insert—

 

‘(3)    

Within three months of Royal Assent of this Act the Government will publish a

 

report detailing how it will ensure better outcomes for consumers of public

 

services and more efficient decision-making processes;

 

(4)    

For the purposes of this Act a public service is any provided to the consumer

 

directly by a Government department, or local or public authority, or a trader

 

acting on behalf of these organisations;

 

(5)    

For the purposes of this Act a person shall be a consumer of public services when

 

they enter any agreement, contract, contract notice or proposed contract for

 

receiving a service which the individual has a direct role in commissioning;

 

(6)    

A report under subsection (3) will consider—

 

(a)    

how each public service provider will ensure a formalised approach to

 

ensure independent advocacy is available for consumers at an early stage

 

in the decision-making process for the provision of public services;

 

(b)    

the nature of an independent advocate to participate in this process and

 

the definition of independence including how this could be supported by

 

the conduct of any service provider;

 

(c)    

the effect of a breach in a consumer’s statutory rights as set out by this

 

legislation when a direct commissioning contract is in place;

 

(d)    

what formal status independent advice notice issued will have in relation

 

to local authority decision-making, especially in instances where a public

 

service continues to act contrary to such information and formal legal

 

redress is sought;

 

(e)    

the role of the public sector ombudsman services in overseeing any such

 

approach; and


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 11 March 2014                  

115

 

Consumer Rights Bill, continued

 
 

(f)    

how a public service provider will report on their formalised approach.’.

 


 

Jenny Willott

 

111

 

Schedule  7,  page  102,  line  1,  leave out ‘a private designated’ and insert ‘an’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment corrects an error in new 219C(5) of the Enterprise Act 2002. The Act does not

 

use the term “private designated enforcer” and it is sufficient in the context to refer to “an enforc­

 

er”.

 

Jenny Willott

 

112

 

Schedule  7,  page  102,  line  31,  at end insert—

 

‘(8A)    

Subsection (8B) applies if—

 

(a)    

an enforcer exercises a function in relation to a person by virtue of

 

subsection (1) or (2),

 

(b)    

that function is a relevant function for the purposes of Part 2 (co-

 

ordination of regulatory enforcement) of the Regulatory Enforcement

 

and Sanctions Act 2008, and

 

(c)    

a primary authority (within the meaning of that Part) has given advice or

 

guidance under section 27(1) of that Act—

 

(i)    

to that person in relation to that function, or

 

(ii)    

to other local authorities (within the meaning of that Part) with

 

that function as to how they should exercise it in relation to that

 

person.

 

(8B)    

The enforcer must, in exercising the function in relation to that person, act

 

consistently with that advice or guidance.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This amendment introduces a duty on private designated enforcers to act consistently with advice

 

or guidance given by a primary authority when seeking an enforcement order or undertaking that

 

includes enhanced consumer measures.

 


 

Stella Creasy

 

Stephen Doughty

 

109

 

Clause  80,  page  42,  line  16,  at end insert—

 

‘(1A)    

A year after the commencement of this section, the Secretary of State will review

 

the powers set out in Schedule 8 and report to Parliament on—

 

(a)    

the number of private actions commenced under this power;

 

(b)    

the redress provided to consumers under these private actions; and

 

(c)    

the scope and potential effect of expanding these private actions powers

 

to all areas of consumer protection law.’.

 



 
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