Consumer Direct (Hansard, 28 October 2003)

§ Mr. Chope
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost has been of the Consumer Direct initiative. [134413]

§ Mr. Sutcliffe
The cost of the Consumer Direct initiative to date is £1,150,000.

§ Mr. Chope
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the purpose of(a) Consumer Direct and (b) the Consumer Gateway. [134481]
172W

§ Mr. Sutcliffe
[holding answer 27 October 2003]: The purpose of Consumer Direct is to increase the provision, quality and consistency of consumer advice across England, Scotland and Wales. Current unmet demand for consumer advic, is estimated at up to 1.5m calls per annum ("DTI Consumer Helplines Study", February 2002).
The Consumer Direct approach is to empower consumers to make the right choices and to resolve problems themselves, so placing more effective pressure on companies to improve. Consumer Direct will also increase the quality and coverage of information for those enforcing con sumer legislation.
The Consumer Gateway acts as a portal to consumer information available online. It provides links to a variety of relevant information sources. Consumer Gateway will be subsumed by Consumer Direct Online when it goes live next summer.

§ Mr. Chope
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is the policy of the Government to provide advice o a individual consumer(a) problems and (b) complaints; and if she will make a statement. [134482]

§ Mr. Sutcliffe
[holding answer 27 October 2003]: It is Government policy to increase people's access to quality consumer advice and information through Consumer Direct. Local Authorities, working in partnership within the English Government Office regions, Scotland and Wales, will be responsible for running Consumer Direct contact centres. These centres will provide advice on individual consumer problems and complaints via telephone or e-mail, or will refer consumers to local Consumer Support Network members if further help is required, or to other organisations who are better placed to assist. Consumer Direct will allow existing advice services to focus their skills and resources where they can add most value, in particular helping vulnerable consumers, providing face-to-face advice, implementing education programmes and clamping down on rogue traders and scams.