§ Mr. BlairTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he has any plans to seek to amend the Supply of Goods Act to give greater protection to the buyers of new or second-hand cars against the manufacturers or sellers of such vehicles; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ForthIn their report on the Sale and Supply of Goods (Cm. 137, May 1987), the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission proposed changes to the Sale of Goods Act 1979 which applies to all goods including new and second-hand cars. The Government have consulted widely on the Commissions' proposals and hopes to announce their intentions in the very near future.
§ Mr. BlairTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has about the law protecting purchasers of cars in the United States with particular reference to the right to money back in cases of defects; if he has any plans to introduce similiar legislation in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ForthI understand that laws in the United States known as "Lemon Laws" typically provide that if defects appear in a new vehicle within a certain time (often one year) or certain mileage after delivery, and the vehicle is still defective after it has been submitted to four attempts at repair, the manufacturer must replace the vehicle with a comparable one or refund the purchase price to the consumer, less a reasonable allowance for use. I have no present plans to introduce similar legislation in the United Kingdom.