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Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 46: Page 6, line 13, leave out ““may”” and insert ““must”” The noble Baroness said: I rise to speak to Amendments Nos. 46 and 48. This is a straightforward group of amendments that would ensure greater transparency in the operations of the National Consumer Council. It is important that the shift in status of the council in its transformation into a non-departmental public body is matched by transparency with regard to communication with the public. Amendments Nos. 46 and 48 go hand in hand, to ensure that the National Consumer Council keeps the public informed about its composition and its functions, consumer matters in general and other matters that can be prescribed by the Secretary of State. Amendment No. 46 would make such communication a duty, while Amendment No. 48 strengthens the direction under the clause. Currently, Clause 9 states that the National Consumer Council must, "““facilitate the dissemination to consumers of advice and information””." All that the duty I propose would require is a regularly updated website. Therefore, I do not see the need for such a wide drafting of the duty. The principle behind the amendments—it is a guiding principle for many of the proposed amendments from these Benches—is that the NCC in its new role performs its functions as transparently to the public as it does to the Secretary of State. I beg to move.