Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 14: 14: Clause 11 , page 7, line 1, after ““vulnerable”” insert ““or otherwise disadvantaged”” The noble Baroness said: My Lords, with Amendments Nos. 14, 15 and 16, we turn toClause 11 on vulnerable customers. The definition of vulnerable is given in Clause 11(2), which states: "““For this purpose a person is ‘vulnerable’ if the Council is satisfied that it is not reasonable to expect that person to pursue the complaint on that person’s own behalf””." My amendment seeks to expand our discussion in Committee. Of course, energy consumers in particular would be moving to be looked after by the NCC. Will the Minister expand on the Government’s understanding of who would be considered vulnerable? I believe that there is a gap between people who are considered vulnerable under the definitions in the Energy Act and the Water Act and the definition in this Bill. I wonder whether those vulnerable people are being downscaled. A person might be able to pursue the complaint, but he or she might be very ill for a short period, as in the example that I gave in Committee, which I will not repeat now. We believe that the council should have particular regard to vulnerable people. The purpose of this small group of amendments is to explore how seriously the Government are taking this issue. I beg to move.