Clause 2
Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill
11:15 am
Jim Fitzpatrick (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry; Poplar and Canning Town, Labour)
The hon. Lady has outlined the Government’s comfort zone in this respect. We must remember that there will be a national work programme that we expect the new council to be able to reflect across the country.
To answer the question asked by the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford, the clause reflects the Government’s amendments on Report in the House of Lords specifically to provide functions to territorial committees on the face of the Bill. The original draft provided the new council with discretion to delegate functions to territorial committees. The new draft has been warmly welcomed by the Scottish and Welsh consumer councils. The Government are relaxed; we do not say that there is any threat to the efficient working on behalf of the consumer and we are not exercised at all by the fact that these changes have been made and accepted in the Lords after debate.