§ 11. Mr. Montgomeryasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what were the factors employed in determining the composition of the new Consumer Protection Advisory Council and what remuneration each member of the Consumer Protection Advisory Council receives.
§ Mr. John FraserIn appointing members to the Consumer Protection Advisory Committee, I aim to ensure that they have between them a wide background of experience. The Fair Trading Act requires specifically the inclusion of members with knowledge and experience of the production or supply of goods, of enforcement of consumer protection legislation, and of consumer organisations or consumer protection activities. The members of the committee do not at present receive any remuneration.
§ Mr. MontgomeryWill the Minister either confirm or deny that the legal adviser to the committee is a law student and is not fully legally qualified? Therefore, is this not a rather ridiculous situation when one has counsel having to deal with very complex points of law?
§ Mr. FraserI am afraid that the hon. Gentleman has been misinformed. One of the members of the committee is a law student, but she is not a member of the committee by virtue of the fact that she is a law student. She is there because of her experience with the Citizens Advice Bureaux. The legal expertise on the committee is provided by Professor W. A. Wilson, a Scottish academic lawyer, and by Mr. Keith Devlin, also an academic lawyer. The person whom the hon. Gentleman has in mind is not on the committee in a legal capacity.