HL Deb 24 March 1982 vol 428 cc963-4

2.59 p.m.

Baroness Burton of Coventry

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following receipt of comments and suggestions on the consultative document Consumers' Interests and the Nationalised Industries issued by the Department of Trade and requested by 15th March, it is their intention both to issue a Green Paper and hold a debate in Parliament on consumer affairs prior to the summer Recess.

Lord Lyell

My Lords, so far, over 250 organisations and individuals have commented in writing on the consultative document, and comments from others are still awaited. We shall need to digest these views before deciding how to proceed.

Baroness Burton of Coventry

My Lords, can the Minister hasten the process of digestion? Is he aware that the consumer organisations were hoping for action in the next Session of Parliament and that the consultative document contains two sets of proposals, one requiring legislation and one not? Will he therefore feel able to agree that it would be helpful to all concerned if we could have a debate based on a Green Paper which takes into account the suggestions and the comments that have come in?

Lord Lyell

My Lords, I am sure that the Government will make haste, but I wonder whether the noble Baroness has got her usual glasses on, since as far as I am aware there is no Green Paper. There may be a consultative document and your Lordships may agree that it is a different shade of green, but there are still views coming in, and, as the noble Baroness and the House will be aware, it is a very complicated subject. There are indeed two options in the consultative document, but the Government do not wish to take an over-hasty view as a result of all these views that are coming in.

Baroness Elliot of Harwood

My Lords, do the Government realise that this is a subject which has been, so to speak, on the tapis now for a very long time? There are an enormous number of consumer organisations which feel very frustrated by the fact that this never comes up for discussion. It would be useful if it came up for general discussion, as the noble Baroness has suggested. This is something that cannot go on waiting and waiting. I know that the reform of the House of Lords has been waiting since 1912, but that is a little different. I do hope the Government will realise that there is tremendously strong feeling that this paper, which is a Government paper, should be discussed.

Lord Lyell

My Lords, I hope I can reassure my noble friend so far as debate is concerned. The House will see that the noble Baroness has her name to a "No Day Named" Motion on the Order Paper. With regard to this subject having been under discussion in your Lordships' House or elsewhere for a long time, I would remind my noble friend that the consultative document was published on 15th December last year and the closing date for the reception of views of individuals and organisations was 15th March, with a very brief extra time limit, which we are still in now. We shall need to digest, albeit hastily, these many views that have come in from the organisations before we can take any definite view or take any further action.

Baroness Burton of Coventry

My Lords, may I ask the Minister, in case he got it wrong, whether he is aware that I know there is no Green Paper?—I am asking for one.

Lord Lyell

My Lords, my instructions are that we shall of course be considering publication of either a White or Green Paper, or indeed any other coloured paper. The noble Baroness will see that there is a mixture of the two already.