Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 14: Page 47, line 29, leave out paragraph 29. The noble Baroness said: Again, this is a very large group of amendments, which I hope will give the Committee the opportunity to discuss the principle behind the Bill. After the last debate, that is even more important. Our main concern with the Bill is that it brings energy and postal consumer services under one body. Unless that body has sufficient teeth, the Bill will simply have the effect of muzzling what is currently a very effective voice in championing specific concerns. In saying that, I do not at all denigrate the existing NCC, but the expertise that bodies such as Postwatch and Energywatch currently have will almost certainly be lost to some degree when they come under the NCC. The amendments would prevent this merger taking place until we receive some assurances about how the new regime will affect consumers. It is important to state that we are not against the continued existence of the National Consumer Council, which does an important and worthwhile job. However, our amendments would prevent an increase in its power and scope, because the current regime serves the interests of consumers well and the DTI has not proved the case for altering it. Amendments Nos. 14, 96, 97, 98 and 99 and the Question that Schedule 2 stand part of the Bill would delete attempts to amend and annul previous Acts concerning energy and postal consumer services. The Question that Clause 3 stand part of the Bill, along with Amendments Nos. 23, 24, 29, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 61, 62 and 63, relate to the term ““designated consumer””. We wish to delete all references to the ““designated consumer””, because that is the way in which the Government have chosen to describe those people who will be covered by the Bill and who then have to move to the new regime. Amendment No. 31 concerns estimates of expenditure under the formal work programme in relation to gas, post and designated consumers, as do Amendments Nos. 23, 24 and 29. The Question that Clause 12 stand part of the Bill relates to energy disconnections. I shall reserve specific comments on that matter until we reach Amendment No. 53, because it deserves its own debate. However, theissue should be referred to under this group of amendments to enable Members of the Committee who want to discuss the impact of these provisionsas a whole to do so. The Questions that Clauses 13,14 and 15 stand part of the Bill will give rise to important debate when we come to them. The later amendments in the group also deal with the term ““designated consumer””. Will enforcement by the regulator substantially change the current regime? Even with the aid of the Explanatory Notes, I was not clear about what the Bill did in that regard. It is important to understand it. The amendments probe exactly what it is that the DTI is seeking to achieve in the Bill. I beg to move.