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Strengthen and streamline consumer advocacy

Starting Date: 25-01-06

Closing Date: 19-04-06

This consultation exercise sought views on proposals to strengthen and streamline consumer advocacy. The proposals include the consolidation of existing consumer bodies into a single, coherent, consumer advocacy body (so called 'Consumer Voice'), and the introduction of new ombudsman schemes to resolve complaints where service providers have not been able to do so.

Over eighty written responses to the consultation were received with the majority broadly in agreement about the need for reform, and supportive of the proposals being put forward to implement change.

The Government response to the consultation, along with a summary of the responses received and the full Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) can be viewed below. A further RIA on an amendment to clause 43 of the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill, which places a duty on the regulators for energy (Ofgem) and postal services (Postcomm) to prescribe complaint handling standards in their sectors is also below.

Consultation Documents

• Strengthen and streamline consumer advocacy: consultation on consumer representation and redress (438KB)
• List of respondents to consultation (27KB)

Consultation Responses

• Strengthen and streamline consumer advocacy: consultation on consumer representation and redress. Summary of responses and Government response to consultation (199KB)
• Strengthen and streamline consumer advocacy: regulatory impact assessment for proposals on consumer representation and redress (212KB)
• Strengthen and streamline consumer advocacy: Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill. Regulatory impact assessment on the amendment to place a duty on regulators to prescribe complaint handling standards (68KB)