§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the consumer protection regime governing the market for funeral pre-payment plans sold by companies to elderly people on the endorsement of registered charities. [7456]
Mr. John M. Taylor[holding answer 9 December 1996]: I addressed this matter in the recent consultation paper published by my Department in July on pre-paid funerals. The question of endorsements by registered charities in England and Wales is a matter for the Charity Commission. Charities are also subject to regulation in Scotland through the Scottish charities office. Advertisements featuring such endorsements are subject to controls by the Advertising Standards Authority. In the consultation document, it was proposed that the nature of the relationship between the plan provider and the charity—or the charity's trading subsidiary—should be made clear to the customer. I am currently reviewing the responses on this and the rest of the proposals.