Written question asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party) on Thursday, 17 January 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 21 January 2008. It was answered by Gareth Thomas (Labour) on Thursday, 24 January 2008 on behalf of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Complaints

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what procedures his Department has in place to assess the performance of designated representative bodies under the Enterprise Act 2002.

Answer: In order to become a designated super-complainant, bodies must meet a number of stringent criteria. Designations are reviewed every two years to ensure continued compliance. There are also procedures in place for withdrawal of designation if a body no longer meets the criteria or if they are believed to be abusing the super-complaints process (e.g. for competitive advantage or commercial gain). Any super-complainant must also comply with the Office of Fair Trading's 'Guidance for designated consumer bodies'.

Secondary information