§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will make a statement on the operation of the regulations concerning credit reference agencies which came into force in May 1977 under the Consumer Credit Act, with particular reference to the estimated numbers of persons wishing to establish information held on them by agencies, the resulting correction of records and the general nature of inquiries and complaints from the public.
§ Mr. John FraserIn general, the regulations appear to be working well and the volume of complaints has been relatively small. No comprehensive figures of persons seeking copies of or corrections to information on them are available. Two large agencies received between them over 14,000 requests by individuals for information from May 1977 to date. The majority of inquiries received by the Office of Fair Trading and the Department since May 1977 have been requests for guidance as to the consumer's rights under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. There have been suggestions that consumers should be entitled to know creditors' reasons for refusing credit and 371W that records of satisfied debts should be removed from agency files. Some complaints were received that information about one person was coupled with information about another. The Director-General of Fair Trading is keeping the working of the regulations under active scrutiny.