§ Mr. Paul Deanasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many aid centres there are offering a shoppers advice service; how many are sponsored by the Government, Government agencies, and local authorities; and what is the cost to public funds.
Mr. Alan WilliamsAccording to the latest information available to me there are at present 74 local authority funded consumer advice centres which offer a comprehensive advice service to shoppers.
73WBecause some of the specialist staff have other responsibilities in addition to their work in the centres it is impossible to identify precisely the cost of such centres within the total local authority consumer advice service expenditure, estimated to be £1.9 million in England and Wales in 1975–76. This expenditure attracts rate support grant, currently at a rate of 66½ per cent.