Background and Overview Parts 1 and 2
4.The Department of Trade and Industry published the Government’s Consumer Strategy on 21 June 2005, and responded to the earlier consultation on the draft strategy as follows:
“Strengthen and streamline consumer advocacy.
As we set out in our consultation document “Extending Competitive Markets: Empowered Consumers, Successful Business” the Government sees benefits in moving consumer representation in the regulated industries towards a single “National Utilities Consumer Council” model. This remains our view, and we will bring forward further details of possible plans and timetable later this year.”
5.A second consultation was undertaken from January to April 2006, in which options were set out to achieve the objective of strengthening and streamlining consumer advocacy. The Government’s response to this second consultation was published on 17 October 2006, together with a Regulatory Impact Assessment.
6.The Act makes provision for new consumer representation as follows: