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Consumer rights Bill: Progress of the Bill

This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Consumer Rights Bill. It complements Research Paper 14/5 prepared for Commons Second Reading.

The Bill would set out a framework that would consolidate in one place key consumer rights covering contracts for goods, services, digital content and the law relating to unfair terms in consumer contracts. The Bill would also introduce easier routes for consumers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to challenge anti-competitive behaviour through the Competition Appeal Tribunal (‘CAT’). In addition, the Bill would consolidate and simplify enforcers’ powers (as listed in Schedule 5) to investigate potential breaches of consumer law and would clarify that certain enforcers (Trading Standards) could operate across local authority boundaries. Finally, the Bill would give the civil courts and public enforcers greater flexibility to take the most appropriate action for consumers when dealing with breaches or potential breaches of consumer law.

The Committee divided on a number of occasions, but none of the amendments or new clauses moved by the Opposition were agreed. The Government moved a small number of minor technical amendments and new clauses, all of which were agreed.