Clause 17 - Claims on behalf of consumers
Enterprise Bill
3:15 pm
Miss Melanie Johnson (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Welwyn Hatfield, Labour)
As the hon. Gentleman said, the amendment would ensure that only consumer bodies could bring consumer group claims. He invited me to accept it, but it would add little to the clause. Organisations that wanted to bring consumer group claims would have to apply to be designated by the Secretary of State specifically for the purpose, as we have discussed. Applicants would then have to meet the published criteria if they were to be included in the list of specified bodies. As we discussed, the criteria will be subject to consultation, but they will include a requirement for organisations to demonstrate that they represent the interests of consumers. As the amendment would not add anything, I do not feel sufficiently moved to accept it. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will take that in the spirit in which it is said.