HC Deb 07 February 1977 vol 925 cc1041-3
17. Mr. Adley

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is his consumer protection policy towards goods and services supplied by nationalised industries or organs of central Government.

Mr. John Fraser

My Department set up the National Consumer Council to represent all consumers, including those of all public sector goods and services. In addition, I am currently examining ways in which the consumer may be most effectively represented by the nationalised industry consumer councils.

Mr. Adley

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that reply. Does he agree that goods and services, such as whooping-cough vaccines, supplied or made available through the National Health Service should be subject to the same laws of consumer protection as are goods and services provided to the public by commercial organisations?

Mr. Fraser

I think that the answer is that they are subject to the same laws, but normal medicines supplied through the National Health Service are not supplied under contract, and liability against a manufacturer lies in tort. It is a difference of supply rather than of law.

Mr. loan Evans

Rather than having separate consumer committees for the gas, coal, electricity and oil industries, why not bring them together and have an energy consumers' consultative committee, whereby consumers can look at the energy supply as a whole and make comparisons between the different industries?

Mr. Fraser

There might be something useful in consumers being able to look generally at energy problems, but if one brought all these organisations into a single body I think that it would diminish the effect of consumer representation in the regions. I think that there is enough work to do in looking at each industry.

Mr. Adley

Where there is a contract between a manufacturer of whooping-cough vaccine and the National Health Service, and the NHS is, under its auspices, supplying the general public, contrary to what the hon. Gentleman has told me, is there not a contract of supply between the two parties?

Mr. Fraser

I hope that the hon. Gentleman will accept this. I think that I would be unwise, at Question Time, to try to give a legal opinion about liability. If the hon. Gentleman writes to me to discuss the matter further, I am only too willing to do so.

Mr. Madden

Can my hon. Friend think of any publicly-owned industry in the last year which has accepted any recommendation made by a consumer council?

Mr. Fraser

Yes. There have been a good many cases.

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