Thursday, October 14, 2010

Bitter blow for Scots & access to justice reforms as Tory-LibDem coalition scraps Scottish consumer champion Consumer Focus Scotland

Consumer Focus Scotland logoScots consumer champion Consumer Focus Scotland axed by London Government. SCOTS CONSUMERS suffered a bitter blow today at the hands of the Westminster Conservative-LibDem coalition Government as it was announced Consumer Focus Scotland and its parent organisation Consumer Focus are being scrapped as part of the ‘savings drive’ to abolish ‘quangos’ which has so far only affected 200 out of 900 ‘Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisations’ & other statutory bodies reviewed for closure, with at least 380 apparently being retained.

The announcement of the spending cuts caused the Cabinet Office’s website to temporarily crash, however the list of publicly funded bodies is now available HERE (pdf). The entry for Consumer Focus reads : “No longer an NDPB - Government will consider the outcome of ongoing sectoral reviews and consult early next year on proposals to abolish Consumer Focus and transfer its function to Citizens Advice.”. The Taxpayers Alliance are left to gloat now their demand Consumer Focus be axed, has come true.

Douglas-SinclairDouglas Sinclair, Chairman of Consumer Focus Scotland. Responding to the announcement by the UK Government today, Douglas Sinclair, Chair of Consumer Focus Scotland, said : “Consumer Focus, and Consumer Focus Scotland have achieved a huge amount for consumers. In the last few months alone Consumer Focus has obtained a £70 million pound energy bill refund for consumers across the UK and in Scotland the passage of the Legal Services (Scotland) Bill has meant the culmination of Consumer Focus Scotland’s campaign to widen choice and protection for users of legal services, and we played a key role in the establishment of the Post Office Challenge Fund.”

Mr Sinclair continued : “The UK Government has decided to transfer at least some of our functions to Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved. The issue now is not who does the work but that the work is done at a time when consumers are facing difficult economic circumstances, especially those who are vulnerable and whom we have a particular duty to protect.”

“What matters now is that the transfer happens in a way that works in consumers’ interests. We will be working with the UK and Scottish Government to do this in the best possible way in the interest of consumers in Scotland. The expertise and knowledge that has enabled us to fight for consumers must not be lost. Changes must not be at the expense of the public’s rights and needs - which organisations like Consumer Focus Scotland were created to protect.”

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is also being scrapped, its competition functions merged with the Competition Commission along with a transfer of its consumer and enforcement functions. High-profile consumer right challenges in the future will be mounted by underfunded local trading standards officers – I don't think so.

BBC News reported on the quango cuts saying Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude had told MPs money would be saved by axing the quangos, saying the main reason for the cull had always been to improve accountability, by having decisions taken by ministers and local authorities where possible.

Consumer group Which?, who will remain as one of the few remaining consumer protection organisations said today the shakeup of the consumer landscape with the scrapping of Consumer Focus must not leave consumers exposed.

Peter Vicary SmithWhich? CEO Peter Vicary-Smith. Which? Chief Executive, Peter Vicary-Smith commenting on the axing of Consumer Focus & other consumer bodies said : "It’s vital that front line advice and enforcement services are maintained, so we’re pleased that Trading Standards and Citizens’ Advice have survived the cull. Which? is talking to the Government about how it can help with providing extra support to consumers in the new regime and continue to do so without taking Government money.”

He continued : "These changes also raise questions about moving responsibility for national enforcement to dedicated individual Trading Standards authorities. How will a local Trading Standards have the resources or the expertise to take on national companies such as the big banks, the airlines and the supermarkets?

"The merger of the Competition Commission offers the opportunity to strengthen competition regulation in the UK, but this will only happen if the new body is given the resources it needs to match its task and police markets effectively."

Perth based law reform campaigner Stewart MacKenzie, author of Petition 1247 - the McKenzie Friend petition which brought about one of the most significant changes in Scots courts for decades and won him the Which? Consumer Champion award for 2010 condemned today’s decision to scrap Consumer Focus Scotland.

Mr MacKenzie said : “'Consumer Focus have done incredible, important work since they were formed 2 years ago, as did their predecessor, the Scottish Consumer Council over many, many years. This is a shattering blow and I can only hope there is a route yet available which may be able to stop this happening and that is why I’ve asked my msp John Swinney to get the First Minister involved in this matter.”

The Scottish Government were asked for comment on today’s blow against Scots consumers. Their statement will appear here if one is issued.

This is of course, a bad day for Scots. No matter how this disgraceful decision is spun, Consumer protection in Scotland will suffer with the loss of Consumer Focus Scotland. Good people and a lot of valuable experience centralised in a well respected national coherent body have been thrown out under the guise of saving money, when in reality it will cost consumers in Scotland and across the country, dearly.

The plan by the Westminster Government, apparently, is to hand over Consumer Focus Scotland’s duties to Citizens Advice Scotland and the many uncoordinated local Trading Standards teams scattered across the regions who themselves are now subject to huge cuts in local authority spending. From experience in dealing with CAB/CAS & local Trading Standards outfits in Scotland, these organisations will have to up their game considerably if they are to match the effective, coordinated campaigning by the Scottish Consumer Council and its successor, Consumer Focus Scotland who served all of us in Scotland so very well over many years.

From the beginnings of my dealings with the Scottish Consumer Council in the mid 1990’s, during its leadership by Derdrie Hutton, DBE, to its current form as Consumer Focus Scotland, I can safely say they have always been a beneficial & much-listened-to voice for change, in the many areas of consumer interest & protection in Scotland, especially those issues on which I report including civil justice reform, regulation of the legal profession & access to justice.

Sadly in 2010, I am now reporting this much valued voice and effort on the part of Scots consumers is to be lost in this very anti-consumer move by the coalition Government in London.

15 comments:

  1. Sounds like a clean sweep, with CAB and similarly inexperienced and complacent underlings put forward by the Con-Dems as window dressing.

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  2. Perhaps now in the light of this deceision some of your readers will believe Scotland is better off separate from the English buffoons !

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  3. Bad news for you in this story got no mention on Reporting Scotland and fat baw'heed Eck with the duff hat is still living it up in Delhi at our expense!

    Make you want to give up yet?

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  4. I hope CAS as better in real life than their website which looks well errm unconvincing

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  5. Will John Swinney save Consumer Focus Scotland ?
    I can hardly wait to find out the expected answer of "No" unless of course the election for next May interferes with plans !

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  6. Good thing you write on your own otherwise you would have been offed a long time ago Peter !

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  7. Are you sure its really gone ?

    I think the ConDems are gearing up for a chance to say "oh look we are going to reprieve Consumer Focus look how great we are we've found some money to fund it" probably sometime before Easter after the phoney consultation ends.This is probably how it will pan out because there are a lot of LD's uneasy over its passing.

    Am I right or am I right ?

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  8. # Anonymous @ 16:47

    Yes ...

    # Anonymous @ 17:34

    Worse I think ... the Scottish Government dont even want to acknowledge Consumer Focus are being scrapped ...

    # Anonymous @ 18:51

    No ... but I might be tempted to run a few scandals in the printed press to shake a few branches ...

    # Anonymous @ 20:58

    Its not for want of them not trying ...

    # Anonymous @ 22:24

    Someone with half a brain from south of the border put that argument to me today hoping I would print it although well ... I dont really believe its going to happen.

    I think politics is playing more a part in these quango cuts rather than savings ... Max Hastings said it all very clearly on tonight's Question Time on BBC 1 ...

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  9. "No ... but I might be tempted to run a few scandals in the printed press to shake a few branches"

    Go for it Peter!

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  10. Yes so we know now NOT to vote TORY next May or they will cut Scotland to shreds too

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  11. Such a spirited defence of Consumer Focus - I bet you wouldn't say the same if the Law Society were scrapped!

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  12. So its late Friday afternoon and nothing in from the Scottish Executive after all the work Consumer Focus has put in for people ?
    Disgusting !

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  13. What Is the point In voting if this is what we get?

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  14. SNP set to scrap prescription charges.

    Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Sturgeon believes the sick should not pay for "Labour's economic mess"

    The Scottish government is to confirm it will abolish prescription charges next April, despite huge funding pressures ahead.

    Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon will tell the SNP conference in Perth that the sick should not have to pay for "Labour's economic mess".
    ===================================
    What a shame she does not feel the same way about the mess lawyers leave their clients in. Double standards as usual.

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  15. What is Salmond doing about it?
    These are Scottish jobs and consumer interests too you know!

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