The Government is continuing to engage with interested stakeholders, including public health professionals, on these reforms. A consultation was launched in October and stakeholders are encouraged to respond before the deadline of 30 January 2022. A tax information and impact note will be published following the consultation when the policy is final, or near final, in the usual way.

My Lords, under the money laundering regulations, a politically exposed person—a PEP—is defined as an individual who is entrusted with prominent public functions, including Members of Parliament or similar legislative bodies. In July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority published guidance on PEPs, which stated that UK PEPs should be treated as lower risk unless other risk factors applied. Firms are required to apply enhanced due diligence to all PEPs on a risk-sensitive basis.

On 13 January 2020, the Government laid before Parliament new regulations that will require private landlords to make sure the electrical installations in their properties are safe.

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require that:

• Electrical installations must be inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years;
• Electrical safety standards must be met;
• Reports (known as ‘Electrical Installation Condition Reports or ‘EICRs’) must be provided to tenants, and to local authorities on request.

The Regulations also set out enforcement powers for local authorities who will be able to tackle those rogue landlords who breach their new duties under the Regulations.

Subject to approval by parliament, these requirements will come into force for all new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and for all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021.

It has not proved possible to respond to these questions in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

It has not proved possible to respond to these questions in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

It has not proved possible to respond to these questions in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

In July 2018, Government committed to introducing mandatory five-yearly electrical safety inspections for electrical installations in privately rented properties. This will be achieved through secondary legislation, as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Government is committed to ensuring that everyone is safe, and feels safe, in their home.

We published our Green Paper, "A new deal for social housing", in August last year. It asked whether new safety measures in the private rented sector should apply to social housing, including the proposed mandatory requirement on private landlords to ensure electrical installations in their property are inspected every five years. We are currently considering the responses to the consultation and will publish our action plan for implementing social housing reform in due course.

My Lords, the Government’s view is that Volkswagen could be liable to compensate consumers for any actual losses they suffer. We are aware of Volkswagen’s statement that consumers are unlikely to suffer losses but it is too soon to say whether this is correct. The Competition and Markets Authority has not opened a formal investigation but is continuing to assess whether there is evidence of consumer harm, while liaising with government and other agencies, nationally and internationally.

Until 31 March 2014, the Office of Fair Trading was responsible for enforcing the Estate Agency Act 1979. Since then, its functions have been transferred to Powys County Council, under the National Trading Standards Board Umbrella.

Data from the archived register for prohibition orders and warning notices in relation to the OFT and its predecessors was:

An order under the Estate Agents Act 1979 may be issued against both estate agents and individuals or businesses who are not currently involved in estate agency work. For example an order can be

issued against someone who has formerly been an estate agent, or who has worked closely with an estate agent.

Since the 1st April 2014:

Three individual orders (two prohibition and one warning) have taken effect. These orders were issued by the Office of Fair Trading but implemented by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team.

Four individual orders and one against a business – all prohibitions - are currently subject to appeals.

Fifteen new cases are currently being processed by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team. ‘Notices of proposal to prohibit’ have been issued for six of these cases and are awaiting representations from the individuals and businesses concerned. Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town

Additionally, the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team currently has fifteen cases on its books which are awaiting prosecution outcome or further investigation by local Trading Standards teams and which may lead to notices being issued at a later date.

The Government is committed to taking firm action against irresponsible businesses who sell alcohol to children. Trading Standards Officers play a vital role in enforcing legislation and protecting children and communities from alcohol related harm.

Where enforcement action is being considered by a local authority against a business that is in a Primary Authority partnership, there is a requirement for enforcing authorities to notify the primary authority of the proposed enforcement action. The Primary Authority will advise on whether relevant advice has been given to the business and whether the proposed action is consistent with that advice.

Primary Authority supports efficient and effective targeting of regulatory resources while helping responsible businesses to comply and grow.

Historic funding levels for Citizens Advice, Citizens Advice Scotland and Consumer Focus (the National Consumer Council) are set out below.

Direct grant funding for face to face debt advice by Central Government ended in 2011-12 with responsibility for this provision moving to the Money Advice Service.² For which costs are recoverable from energy licence holders³ For which costs are recoverable from postal licence holders⁴ Costs borne by BIS⁵ Costs borne by BIS

The Office for National Statistics has recently confirmed that Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland are classified as “Non-profit Institutions Serving Households” (NPISH). The charitable status of Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland remains unchanged.

In November 2013, having reviewed the framework under which the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) manages its relationship with both organisations, BIS’s Principal Accounting Officer wrote to both Chief Executives revoking their Accounting Officers designations as these were anomalous with funding through an annual grant agreement arrangement.

The Government welcomes the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) report on “Small Businesses as Consumers”. The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has accepted the report’s recommendation that, when developing consumer law, consideration should be given to extending consumer protections to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs.)

In the case of the Consumer Rights Bill, the Government considered the case for small businesses to be treated as consumers, consulting on this question in 2008 and 2012. In the 2008 Consumer Law Review, the Government asked whether the definition of consumer should be extended to include small or micro-businesses and, in response, business groups were opposed to that suggestion. In 2012 the Government proposed the definition of “consumer” used in the Consumer Rights

Bill and received broad support for it. In evidence to the Consumer Rights Bill Committee in the House of Commons in February 2014, the British Retail Consortium raised concerns about including SMEs within the definition of consumer.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB’s) report does not recommend defining small businesses as consumers for the purpose of the Consumer Rights Bill and, given the results of our consultations, the Government agrees with that stance. We are however implementing a wide range of initiatives to address the barriers to, and provide opportunities for, small business growth as set out in our 2013 publication “Small Business GREAT Ambition”.

The Government are tackling the issues that consumers care most about head on. We are bringing in strong reforms through the Consumer Rights Bill to give greater clarity to goods, services and, for the first time, digital content. On World Consumer Rights Day, my department, Citizens Advice and Ofcom highlighted issues around mobile phones. We received excellent press coverage, which helped to increase awareness and to inform people where to go to get help.

The Consumer Rights Bill was introduced to Parliament on 23 January 2014.