§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to make credit reference agencies accountable to Parliament. [130057]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonI have no plans to introduce additional controls on the activities of credit reference agencies.
Businesses which provide credit reference information about consumers already require licences issued by the Director General of Fair Trading under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. The Director General has to satisfy himself that a licensee is a fit person to engage in the activities covered by the licence and he can vary, suspend 619W or revoke licences where he considers that licensees have engaged in practices that appear to him to be deceitful or oppressive, or otherwise unfair or improper (whether unlawful or not). He therefore monitors the complaints he receives about licence holders and he has demonstrated that he is ready to take the necessary licensing action to protect consumers where he considers it justified.