Clause 11 - Super-complaints to the OFT
Enterprise Bill
9:30 am
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne, Conservative)
My hon. Friend has examined the dentistry complaint in greater detail than most of us, for which we are all deeply grateful to him. If the dentistry complaint is punted as the sort of matter that will be handled under clause 11, it is a tad disappointing, as my hon. Friend suggested, that it took right up to the wire—the full 90 days—for the OFT to respond. Clearly, it was driven not to take beyond 90 days, which would have been poor salesmanship in the context of this Bill. However, it is unfortunate that the OFT took that long when it does not yet have the panoply of powers and functions that we are proposing to heap on it and when, by definition, it is considering only one or two prototype investigations. There is a concern. I do not want to overstate it, but I will be interested to hear what other Members and the Under-Secretary have to say.