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Whether liquid milk sold by retailers as "British" has to be produced from cows in the United Kingdom; and whether labelling requirements for the origin of liquid milk are being adhered to by the retail trade. [HL 5227].

Asked by

Lord Stewartby (Conservative)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

13 November 2003

Reference

654 c221-2WA; HL 5227

House

House of Lords

Scotland of Asthal, Baroness

Lords statement on When they plan to announce the outcome of the pilot testing of language analysis in determining selected asylum applications. [HL 4990]. - Includes figures and fact that copy of summary of findings in Library.

Asked by

Lord Tomlinson (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

22 October 2003

Reference

653 c178-9WA; HL 4990

House

House of Lords

Written Statement on the outcome of the pilot testing of language analysis to help determine asylum claims from selected applicants who claimed to be nationals of Afghanistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka

Written Statement on the outcome of the pilot testing of language analysis to help determine asylum claims from selected applicants who claimed to be nationals of Afghanistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka. (Inc figs and fact that copy of the summary of the findings is in the Library Dep 03/2132).

Member

Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour)

Department

Home Office

Type

Written statements

Date

21 October 2003

Reference

411 c35-6WS

House

House of Commons

Treasury

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many complaints of mis-selling of (a) endowment policies and (b) other financial products by (i) tied agencies and (ii) independent financial advisers have been upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service in (A) 2001, (B) 2002 and (C) 2003; what the total of...

Asked by

Vincent Cable (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

10 July 2003

For answer on

1 September 2003

Answered on

1 September 2003

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints of mis-selling of (a) endowment policies and (b) other financial products by (i) tied agencies and (ii) independent financial advisers have been upheld by the Financial Ombudsman Service in (A) 2001, (B) 2002 and (C) 2003; what the total of fines levied for each category was by year; what average length of time it took to investigate each complaint; and what the longest period was a complaint has remained open. [126076] Mr. Boateng: The Financial Ombudsman Service has advised the Treasury that the number of complaints upheld either wholly or in part were as follows. Mortgage Endowment Complaints _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Substantially upheld Upheld in part 2002-03 IFAs 359 110 Tied Agents 3,906 854 2001-02 IFAs 385 95 Tied Agents 2,758 690 2000-011 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 In 2000-01, the Personal Investment Authority Ombudsman Bureau (PIAOB) dealt with mortgage endowment and other investment product complaints. The PIAOB did not record statistics about case outcome that can be analysed in this way. However, across the range of investment related complaints against both IFAs and tied agents, 46 per cent. of complaints were resolved by conciliation or mediation where both parties agreed voluntarily and of those cases that were resolved by adjudication or a final decision by an ombudsman, 22 per cent. were upheld in favour of the consumer. Other Investment Products1 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Substantially upheld Upheld in part 2002-03 IFAs 411 201 Tied Agents 3,109 1,853 2001-02 IFAs 170 68 Tied Agents 1,142 804 2000-012 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1 Personal pension plans, whole-of-life/non mortgage linked endowments and other `packaged' investment products. 2 In 2000-01, the Personal Investment Authority Ombudsman Bureau (PIAOB) dealt with mortgage endowment and other investment product complaints. The PIAOB did not record statistics about case outcome that can be analysed in this way. However, across the range of investment related complaints against both IFAs and tied agents, 46 per cent. of complaints were resolved by conciliation or mediation where both parties agreed voluntarily and of those cases that were resolved by adjudication or a final decision by an ombudsman, 22 per cent. were upheld in favour of the consumer. Awards The Financial Ombudsman Service does not punish or fine firms--the regulator, the Financial Services Authority, takes any such action. In resolving disputes, the ombudsman service may make a `money award' against a firm of such amount as it considers fair compensation for financial loss and or pain and suffering or damage to reputation or distress or inconvenience. Additionally or alternatively, the ombudsman service can `direct' a firm to take such steps in relation to the complainant, as the ombudsman considers just and appropriate. The Financial Ombudsman Service does not record `money award' data as any such figure would not include cases which have been settled by way of agreeing that an offer of redress that a firm has made is fair compensation nor would it include the equivalent monetary value of any `direction' that the ombudsman service may give. Timeliness Each year, the ombudsman service sets timeliness targets for resolving complaints. In 2000-01, 73 per cent. of cases at the PIAOB were closed within six months; 19 per cent. took between six and 12 months and 8 per cent. took over 12 months. In 2001-02, the Financial Ombudsman Service closed 73 per cent. of cases within six months and 96 per cent. of cases within 12 months. In 2001-02, the average time taken to resolve and close a case was just over five months. In 2002-03, the ombudsman service introduced a new three month target and reported that it resolved 44 per cent. of cases within this time and that it resolved 76 per cent. of cases within six months. The ombudsman service refined the measure for the average time taken and reported that it took just under four months to resolve a complaint by mediation or conciliation. And, where a detailed investigation was required to settle the dispute--involving a full ombudsman review and decision--the average time taken was eight and a half months. The oldest ombudsman case still open dates back to November 1997, and has remained open for 2,035 days. It is the ombudsman service's policy to report any case that remains open to its Board so that the Directors can satisfy themselves that there are valid reasons for a case to be more than a year old.

Date

1 September 2003

Reference

126076; 409 c887-9W

House

House of Commons

Contracting Out (Administration of the Teachers Pensions Scheme) Order 2003

Draft SI on contracting out (administration of the teachers pensions scheme) (SI 2003/1668). Lords debate on motion to approve. Agreed to on question.

Lead member

Lord Davies of Oldham

Answering member

Baroness Blatch

Department

Department for Education and Skills

Type

Debates on delegated legislation

Date

13 June 2003

Reference

649 c481-7

House

House of Lords

Dept of Trade and Industry

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many cases of energy sales mis-selling there were in each local authority area in the last year for which figures are available; if she will list for each authority the total number of incidents; and if she will make...

Asked by

Chris Ruane (Labour)

Answering body

Department of Trade and Industry

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

8 May 2003

For answer on

15 May 2003

Answered on

15 May 2003

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of energy sales mis-selling there were in each local authority area in the last year for which figures are available; if she will list for each authority the total number of incidents; and if she will make a statement on energy sales mis-selling. [112983] Mr. Wilson: From April 2002 to March 2003, the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council (Energywatch) received 109,500 complaints, of which 12,954 were about mis-selling to domestic consumers. Energywatch does not collect figures on a local authority basis. The complaints received by its regional offices were: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Regional office Number of complaints Central 2,501 Southern 1,324 London and South East 3,367 North West 2,007 North East 2,015 Scotland 897 Wales 843 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. I have made it clear to the industry that it must address the continuing problems of mis-selling. Over the past year, it has made considerable efforts to do so, and has introduced the EnergySure staff training scheme and a Code of Practice on direct selling. The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), which regulates the sales activities of energy suppliers, may take investigative and enforcement action, including levying financial penalties, against any supplier that breaches the terms of its supply licence. In November 2002, Ofgem fined London Electricity £2 million for mis- selling under its own brand aid that of Virgin Energy.

Date

15 May 2003

Reference

112983; 405 c344-5W;405 c343-4W

House

House of Commons

Split Capital Investment Trusts. Treasury Select Committee fourth special report-government and other responses to the committees third report of session 2002/03. (HC 418).

Type

Select Committee reports; House of Commons papers; Parliamentary committees

Committee

Treasury; Treasury Committee

Notes

Received 30.04.03

Date

14 April 2003

Reference

HC 651 2002/03

House

House of Commons

Treasury

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what action he is taking to investigate misselling of split capital investment trusts; and what compensation is available for those who have been affected.

Asked by

Mark Simmonds (Conservative)

Answering body

Treasury

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

25 March 2003

Reference

104730; 402 c132W

House

House of Commons

Dept of Trade and Industry

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to ensure that FSA rules prevent credit card companies from (a) setting minimum payments below the interest charge, (b) failing to show the APR clearly on statements and (c) implying that an interest-bearing period is interest-free....

Asked by

Oliver Letwin (Conservative)

Answering body

Department of Trade and Industry

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

4 March 2003

For answer on

12 March 2003

Answered on

12 March 2003

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to ensure that FSA rules prevent credit card companies from (a) setting minimum payments below the interest charge, (b) failing to show the APR clearly on statements and (c) implying that an interest-bearing period is interest- free. [101614] Miss Melanie Johnson :[holding answer 7 March 2003]: The provision of information on credit card statements is regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974, and in particular by the Consumer (Running- Account Credit Information) Regulations 1983 (SI No. 1570/83). These require statements provided for running-account credit agreements, such as credit cards, to contain the following information: any opening balance on the account; the date of any movement on the account; the amount of any payment on the account; the amount of any drawing on the account; and the amount of any interest or other charges on the account. Where a statement shows that interest has been applied to the account, it must contain either sufficient information for the customer to be able to check the calculation of that interest; details of the rate of interest that has been applied; or a statement indicating that the rate of interest applied will be provided upon request. The form and content of consumer credit advertising is governed by the Consumer Credit (Advertisements) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989/1125). These are enforced by the Office of Fair Trading, and I understand that the OFT has investigated a number of credit providers who have advertised interest-bearing agreements as being interest-free. The practice of some credit card providers of reducing the minimum required monthly repayment is one that I highlighted in my response in January this year to the Second Report of the Governments' Task Force on Tackling Overindebtedness. I stated then that I was worried about the effects that this practice can have on consumers, and in particular that it can only lead to an escalation of the total amount owed and the time required to repay it. I stated that the Government would therefore be considering how consumers might be given better information about the effects of a low minimum payment. To that end, and as part of the review of the Consumer Credit Act that I launched in July 2001, I shall be publishing a consultation document on the simplification of the credit advertising regulations in the summer. As well as inviting comments on minimum payments, this will also look at how consumers can get better information in general about credit cards that will enable them to compare offers from different providers. In advance of this consultation, the DTI is in regular discussion with the credit industry and consumer bodies on the scope for a common format for the provision of key information, including details of interest-free periods and the calculation and advertising of APRs.

Date

12 March 2003

Reference

101614; 401 c270W;401 c269-70W

House

House of Commons

Whitty, Lord

How they measure the effectiveness of the Green Claims Code they introduced in 1998; in what ways they are deterring bad practice with regard to green claims; and how many times since 1998 they have done so; and in what ways they support the efforts of businesses which are acting...

Asked by

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

3 March 2003

Reference

645 c88-9WA; HL 1642;HL 1643

House

House of Lords

Filkin, Lord

If they have reviewed the work of Eugene J Kanin of Purdue University on the incidence of false declaration of rape in a metropolitan community of 70,000 inhabitants in the United States. [HL 1486].

Asked by

Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

19 February 2003

Reference

HL 1486; 644 c174WA

House

House of Lords

Filkin, Lord

What assessment has been made of the amount of police time that is wasted arising out of false allegations of rape. [HL 1453].

Asked by

Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

17 February 2003

Reference

HL 1453; 644 c149-50WA

House

House of Lords

Filkin, Lord

How many times the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has paid compensation in rape cases in each of the past three years; and how many times recipients of compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority have been prosecuted for false claims following the making of rape allegations which subsequently turn out...

Asked by

Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

17 February 2003

Reference

HL 1489; 644 c150-1WA

House

House of Lords

Split capital investment trusts. Treasury Select Committee third report in 2 volumes with proceedings, evidence (previously HC 1089 i-iii 2001/02) and appendices.

Type

Select Committee reports; House of Commons papers; Parliamentary committees

Committee

Treasury Committee

Notes

Received 13.02.03

Date

5 February 2003

Reference

HC 418 2002/03

House

House of Commons

Lords debate on unstarred question on combating misleading food labelling

Lords debate on unstarred question on combating misleading food labelling.

Lead member

Lord Morris of Manchester

Answering member

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Department

Department of Health

Type

Questions for short debate

Date

8 January 2003

Reference

642 c1079-100

House

House of Lords

Librarians' tools

Type

House

Session

Month

Department

Member

Primary member

Answering member

Legislative stage

Legislation

Subject

Publisher