HC Deb 08 March 1976 vol 907 cc75-6W
Mr. Loyden

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what criteria her Department uses in deciding the location of consumer advisory units.

Mr. Alan Williams

The location of consumer advice facilities is a matter for the local authority. In choosing between local authorities' applications for grants for the setting up of new consumer advice centres, I used the following criteria, which are set out in paragraph 8 of DPCP Circular 9/75:

  1. (i) the extent to which consumer advice in the area to be served is deficient;
  2. (ii) the cost-effectiveness of the proposals, having regard to the population to be served; and
  3. (iii) the need for consumer advice facilities to be reasonably distributed over the country.

Mr. Loyden

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many consumer advisory units have been established within the Merseyside County.

Mr. Alan Williams

There are consumer advice centres at Bootle and South-port, and St. Helens has a temporary centre as well as being the base of a mobile unit. Grant is being made available under the consumer advice grant scheme for a centre in Birkenhead, and for the transfer of the St. Helens centre to permanent premises.