Clause 15
Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill
9:00 am
Susan Kramer (Shadow Secretary of State for Trade & Industry, Trade & Industry; Richmond Park, Liberal Democrat)
I wish to raise an issue similar to that which I raised on the previous clause, but there is a slightly broader set of questions here. With the disappearance of Postwatch, can the Minister clarify which of its responsibilities the National Consumer Council will pick up and which will be left to be picked up by Postcomm? He will be conscious that Postwatch has effectively acted as the consumer arm of Postcomm and that the situation has been a little different from the energy utility arrangements.
In that context, we are particularly concerned by earlier discussions in the Committee. The Minister will know that 90 per cent. of Royal Mail’s activity is related to businesses rather than domestic consumers, and there is a new consultation on a proposal by Royal Mail to change its pricing to a zonal basis. Yet in our earlier discussions there seemed to be a fair amount of ambiguity about how much the National Consumer Council’s remit would include the importance of focusing on business. It could, but it was clear that that played a secondary role to that of the domestic consumer in the view of many Government Members. A critical issue for business arises: where on earth will that responsibility lie? Postcomm focuses on the licence criteria, which do not capture any notion of consumer benefit or disadvantage.
As in the earlier clause, Postcomm will need to set up complaints standards. Royal Mail has a modest complaints process, and in the past everyone has relied on Postwatch to add a complaints arm. Postcomm will need to develop and approve a proper complaints system. How does the Minister envisage that process going forward so that we do not have a hideous gap in the transition from one system to the other?