§ 23. Mrs. Oppenheimasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if she proposes to seek to amend Section 2 of the Fair Trading Act.
Mr. Alan WilliamsI shall be prepared to consider possible changes in the Act in the light of experience of its working.
§ Mrs. OppenheimI welcome the fact that the hon. Gentleman is consulting colleagues in the Home Office about transferring responsibility for consumer product safety. As evidence must be collected for that, however, will he either amend Section 2 of the Act to allow the Director General to do it or set up a consumer commission on product safety?
Mr. WilliamsI am discussing with the Director General the whole field of operation of the Act. From our amicable experience on the Act during its passage through Parliament—if I may say that without embarrassing her—the hon. Lady well knows my views on consumer health 867 and safety. It is our intention, as I believe it was the previous Government's, to see the Act work as effectively as possible.
§ Mr. JannerCan my hon. Friend give an indication of the abuses the Government intend to attack by using the powers in the Act, and when they will do so?
Mr. WilliamsMy hon. and learned Friend must allow for the fact that I have been in office only a very short time and that I am in the middle of preparing legislation. I am having discussions with the Director General to see where action by the Government is needed. The Director General is already urgently considering measures that he would wish to put before the public and the Consumer Protection Advisory Committee.