Clause 5
Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill
4:00 pm
Susan Kramer (Shadow Secretary of State for Trade & Industry, Trade & Industry; Richmond Park, Liberal Democrat)
I waited for an explanation of the amendment before coming to any conclusion about it. However, I am unconvinced by the hon. Gentleman’s argument.
The NCC’s work will cover a wide range of different businesses, all on different timetables, and there will be opportunities for issues to arise at any time. Who could have said three years ago that we would be considering a proposal to close 2,500 post offices in the next two years? If that had not been included in a forward plan, the NCC would not have had a position on dealing with the consequences of it. Could we have known three years in advance that we would go through a phase in which, instead of steadily declining energy prices and a consequently fairly predictable pattern of consumer pricing, there would suddenly be a volatile period of rapid rises and declines, with some very poor industry responses to that pattern?
Unpredictability characterises the issues with which consumers must deal daily, and it is inappropriate to lock into a programme for three years and—more importantly—to lock into the funding which, as we have said earlier, essentially follows the forward programme on a three-year basis.