National Consumer Council

The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for the funding of, and appointments to the National Consumer Council (NCC), the Scottish Consumer Council (SCC) and the Welsh Consumer Council (WCC). NCC has close ties with the independent General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland.

The NCC family vision is to make markets and public services work better for all consumers (now and in the future) with a special focus on the needs of disadvantaged consumers.

Visit the NCC web site at www.ncc.org.uk for up-to-date news about its publications, policies and campaigns.

Hearing Aid Council

Hearing Aid Council (HAC) is one of the Department’s non-departmental public bodies. HAC is mainly funded by subscriptions from registered dispensers and their employers. HAC is primarily concerned with the regulation of people involved in the dispensing of hearing aids in the private sector by:

• maintaining a register of qualified dispensers;
• encouraging high standards in professional practice though its examination and qualification system and code of practice;
• taking up complaints on behalf of consumers.

For further information on the Hearing Aid Council visit the HAC web site: www.thehearingaidcouncil.org.uk

The Department of Trade and Industry is responsible for promoting and sponsoring the work of the Citizens Advice Bureau Service through its funding of Citizens Advice in England and Wales and Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) in Scotland. Citizens Advice Northern Ireland is an independent organisation.

Citizens Advice, and CAS, set standards for advice giving, provide central training, offer merger support services, run an information system and co-ordinate policy work for all Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales, and in Scotland, respectively.

Fact Sheet on Citizens Advice funding.