Motor Car Repair and Servicing (Hansard, 22 June 1988)

§ Lord Beaverbrook
My Lords, the code of practice for the motor industry which has been drawn up by the motor trade associations, in conjunction with the Director General of Fair Trading, contains requirements about car servicing and repairs. Any changes to that code, with a view to improving standards of car servicing and repairs, are a matter for the director general and the relevant associations.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for his reply. It shows there is not much progress that can be made public since my Question on 3rd November when the Minister's noble friend replied that the Office of Fair Trading was discussing changes to the code of practice. Is my noble friend aware that adverse surveys have continued since November, particularly one in the Observer of 15th March, indicating that there has been little if any improvement in services at garages?

§ Lord Beaverbrook
My Lords, my noble friend is quite right that there has been little progress. However, I should say that the Office of Fair Trading has been pressing the motor trade associations to take action. I believe that it would be very helpful if some strengthening of the guarantees that are given by garages to their customers could be incorporated in an updated code. There have been a number of surveys which cause concern; on the other hand, I suppose it is fair to say that many garages do an excellent job. It may well be for the motorist to shop around and find the very best garage that will provide him with good service at a fair price.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the Office of Fair Trading can help no one who has purchased a car from abroad in getting spare parts or even getting repairs effected? It offers no help whatsoever, and has said so in writing—in particular, to me.

Noble Lords
Oh!

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, I think that is a very good example. What is wrong with me giving an example of things that I have suffered which might affect thousands of other Britons? This is the place to raise such complaints.
Is the Minister further aware that there seems to be a wide discrepancy of charges among garages in England, Wales and Scotland for the same kind of repair to the same kind of vehicle? Will he not approach the associations involved to see whether they can check on those who are ruthlessly exploiting innocent motorists?

§ Lord Beaverbrook
My Lords, I respectfully suggest that next time the noble Lord might try buying a British motor car. But I do suspect that the Government are correct in believing that competition is the best way to get standards improved. I should point out to the noble Lord that there is a new generation of service centres being operated by operators such as Kwik-Fit, B & Q and Halfords Service Centres. They are bringing considerable competition to the traditional garage trade. There is plenty of scope for motorists to shop around, as I have already said, and to get the best price and the best quality.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, the car I own is a British car. The Director-General of Fair Trading did not know that. I shall draw the attention of the Minister to his reply and educate him.

§ Lord Beaverbrook
My Lords, the noble Lord said that he had suffered problems in obtaining parts from abroad. That was what I understood him to say.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, will the noble Lord explain to the House how competition is expected to operate in this instance? After all, we are talking about competition of service, not of price. How are services and the standard of service to be properly advertised to maintain proper competition? Are garages to say that they are operating a four-star service, or only a one-star service, or that they are not very good, or that they will not replace a gasket or that customers had better watch out for the exhaust systems on their cars? How is this all meant to operate? Does not the Minister accept that trading standards inspectors in local authorities are no longer willing to volunteer their own cars to go into service stations for service because in many cases they come out worse than when they went in?

§ Lord Beaverbrook
My Lords, as in many other industries standards of service are usually judged by the reputation of the person providing them. I believe that in this particular industry—motor servicing—so many people own motor cars and so many people never stop talking about motor cars that no doubt the word spreads round very quickly when an inadequate service is being provided. But as regards the point made about how many stars a garage should advertise and so on, when it comes to safety I do not think that there is any difference at all. One just has to have the very best service to achieve an acceptable 755 standard of safety. When it comes to matters that are more of a cosmetic nature to a motor car than of a safety nature, again I think that reputation and price will lead the consumer to the right outlet.

§ Lord Nugent of Guildford
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that we hear from the other side of the House about the failure of service stations to give good service, but that my experience is that the small family service station which looks after my car does so to my utmost satisfaction? This must be the case in the great majority of cases. Is my noble friend aware that of course he is right in saying that just as when we are buying anything else we must look around at different suppliers and choose the best one?

§ Lord Beaverbrook
My Lords, I agree with my noble friend. There are many satisfactory garages and I should hope that car owners will take more trouble to make sure that they go to satisfactory suppliers.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, does the Minister agree that the Question of his noble friend Lord Campbell of Croy was totally unnecessary and that competition will resolve everything?

§ Lord Beaverbrook
My Lords, my noble friend no doubt would not have asked his Question if he had felt it to be unnecessary.

§ Baroness Fisher of Rednal
My Lords, can the Minister give us a report of the last meeting that he had with the trading standards officers regarding this whole question of car servicing and the selling of vehicles which are in an unroadworthy condition? The powers of trading standards officers are very limited because the main ones lie with the police force. But will the Minister be able to report at some future date further consultations with trading standards officers in order to overcome the very bad service that a great majority of motorists receive?

§ Lord Beaverbrook
My Lords, the Government's view is that trading standards officers have considerable powers to deal with unsatisfactory services, particularly garages which are in the business of putting unroadworthy cars into the hands of the general public. Anyone who has cause for complaint should approach a trading standards officer; individuals can also go to court. We do not feel that it is necessary to take further steps at this stage. However, we shall be watching the effect of local licensing of used car traders in Scotland to see if any lessons can be learnt.

§ Lord Taylor of Gryfe
My Lords, since insurance companies frequently pick up the tab for servicing and repairs to vehicles, is the Minister taking any action to ensure that insurance companies get value for money for repairs and services?

§ Lord Beaverbrook
My Lords, insurance companies have their own teams of highly competent assessors. They are probably the last people to need government assistance.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, does the Minister agree that it was the very disquieting and exhaustive survey in Which?, the journal of the Consumers' Association, which prompted my question of 3rd November last year? Is the Minister aware that his noble friend Lord Young was also much concerned as regards the survey? Is he aware that I have complete confidence that the Office of Fair Trading is the correct office to make any changes in the code of practice which his noble friend indicated would probably be necessary?

§ Lord Beaverbrook
Yes, my Lords, I am aware of the Which? report. I am also aware of a number of other reports published since then. The Office of Fair Trading is pressing the motor trade. If satisfactory progress is not made, no doubt the director general will have to consider his next step.