Commentary on Sections Part 2: Networks, Services and the Radio Spectrum Chapter 1: Electronic Communications Networks and Services Section 53: Approval of codes of practice for the purposes of s. 52
147.This section sets out the procedures and criteria for approval by OFCOM of codes of practice for dealing with customer complaints. OFCOM shall only approve such a code if it adequately protects the customers of public communications providers to whom the code applies.
148.Subsection (2) places OFCOM under a duty to keep under review codes of practice previously approved by them and subsection (3) allows OFCOM to approve modifications made to an approved code, to withdraw their approval, or to make their continuing approval conditional on the responsible providers making appropriate modifications to the code within a defined period of time.
149.In considering whether to approve (or to continue to approve) a code of practice, OFCOM are obliged to take into account whether the code is easily understandable by customers, the need for consistency between approved codes of practice and the need to keep the number of different approved codes to a minimum.