Clause 117 - Approval of code for premium rate services
Communications Bill
6:45 pm
Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby, Conservative)
The amendments are inspired by the mobile telephone operators, who seek particular clarification that ICSTIS's activities remain confined to consumer protection and do not extend into economic regulation. The Committee will see that any code approved under the section as worded will include provision about the pricing of premium rate services. That seems to give ICSTIS responsibility for pricing matters. The amendment would replace the pricing of premium rate services with the words
''the transparency of pricing of premium rate services and the maximum amounts payable for each transmission of a premium rate service before a transmission is terminated.''
Amendment No. 278 is consequential upon that.
The amendments seek to clarify the position that ICSTIS is not an economic regulator, and that it does not, and should not be asked to, make judgments about the fairness of service providers' pricing, which is surely a matter for the Office of Fair Trading or for Ofcom, if applicable. It should be absolutely clear that the premium rate service regulator is there for the purpose of protecting consumers from unexpectedly high telephone charges incurred by them or by others at their expense, and from getting access to inappropriate material. ICSTIS should not be put in a position in which it is required make judgments about value for money and similar problems of economic regulation. The amendments would provide that certainty and fulfil the Government's policy objective that these provisions do not extend the scope and responsibility of ICSTIS's work.