§ Mr. Altonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from persons who have lost money as a result of the activities of a time-share company, Holiday Ownership Exchange of Leicester Square, London, details of which have been sent to him; if he proposes to take any action in response to these representations; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. HowardI have received one written representation and my Department has had several inquiries by telephone. The Department has made widely available its leaflet entitled "Your Place in the Sun" which gives a checklist of steps to take before entering into a timeshare transaction and advises people what to do if things go wrong. The enforcement of consumer protection legislation is generally a matter for local authority trading standards departments. I understand that the City of Westminister has received some 150 complaints about the activities of holiday ownership exchange and they are considering these matters in relation to the powers vested in them.