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Confident Consumers

It is important to set out that role. If consumer voice informs policy making, it should not become a judge of its own advice. If it advocates a strategy that the Government take on board, but that strategy fails to deliver, it may not be the most effective advocate, given that its original advice will have been wrong. Someone who handles cases day to day will know whether the strategy is working, so their voice needs to be heard in the system. The Government must make sure that people who deal with individual cases have a strong voice that informs policy making. Finally, I welcome the concept of informed consumers as an important aspect of delivering fair competition and effective business. However, I reinforce my view that that cannot be delivered if we throw away effective advocacy for individuals who cannot pursue a case on their own.