§ Mr. Matthew BanksTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the report on connected lender liability issued by the Director General of Fair Trading in May this year; and if he will make a statement. [6880]
Mr. John M. TaylorWe have given careful consideration to the arguments and recommendations in the report but are not at present persuaded by them. We will establish more fully the factual evidence bearing on the questions at issue, in particular on the associated costs and benefits for consumers, creditors and other industries. Therefore, my Department will shortly issue a consultation document and we shall consider responses to it before reaching final decisions.