11
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1993
OF
THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS ORGANISED A SERIES
AWARENESS OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES TO ENHANCE CONSUMER POLICIES AND LEGISLATION WHICH AFFECT CONSUMERS' INTERESTS. SUCH
OF IMPORTANT FROM THE POINT ARE PARTICULARLY
VIEW OF PROGRAMMES ENCOURAGING COMPLIANCE WITH NEW CONSUMER PROTECTION LEGISLATION AS THE TOYS AND CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS SAFETY ORDINANCE AND AGENTS (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE, AND COMPLAINTS AGAINST BREACHES OF LEGISLATION. WE PLAN TO CONTINUE THE EFFORT NEXT YEAR BY ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THIS SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
SUCH THE TRAVEL SUCH
ALLOCATING
TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE CONSUMER COUNCIL
то
WE ARE IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE CONSUMER COUNCIL ON THE NEED EXPAND
REVIEWING ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE. WE ARE AT PRESENT ACTIVELY
COUNCIL THE JUSTIFICATION FOR RETAINING THE SCHEDULE TO THE CONSUMER
THIS SCHEDULE
LIST SETS OUT A
OF ORDINANCE.
COMPANIES AND WHICH
OF ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE PURVIEW
THE ORGANISATIONS
CONSUMER ALL THE EXEMPTED BODIES OF THIS SCHEDULE INCLUDES VIRTUALLY COUNCIL.
UTILITY THE PUBLIC
AND TRANSPORT COMPANIES, TELEVISION AND SOUND BROADCASTERS, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE HOSPITAL AUTHORITY.
THAT SCHEDULE WAS INTRODUCED IN 1977 WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS FIRST
WERE ENACTED. THE JUSTIFICATION THEN WAS THAT AS THESE BODIES ALREADY SUBJECT TO SOME SPECIAL SCHEME OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL OR PUBLIC MONITORING, THEY SHOULD BE EXEMPTED FROM THE PURVIEW OF THE CONSUMER COUNCIL IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY DUPLICATION OF WORK.
OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN REPEATED REQUESTS FROM CONSUMER CONSCIOUS GROUPS, INCLUDING THE CONSUMER COUNCIL ITSELF, FOR THE DELETION OF THIS SCHEDULE. THE CONSUMER COUNCIL FEELS INCREASINGLY INHIBITED FROM HANDLING CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND CONDUCTING RESEARCH PROJECTS INVOLVING SOME OF THESE BODIES WHICH ARE OF GENERAL PUBLIC CONCERN.
AFTER CONSULTATION WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT, WE CONSIDER THAT THERE IS A NEED TO REVIEW THE ORIGINAL JUSTIFICATION FOR THE SCHEDULE WITH A VIEW TO ENHANCING CONSUMER PROTECTION. IN CONDUCTING THIS REVIEW, WE WILL OF COURSE BE MINDFUL OF THE NEED ΤΟ MINIMIZB ANY DUPLICATION OF EFFORTS BETWEEN THE CONSUMER COUNCIL AND THE RELEVANT REGULATORS. WE SHALL SHORTLY SEEK THE VIEWS OF THE BODIES LISTED IN THE SCHEDULE AND OTHER CONCERNED PARTIES.
AS TO THE QUESTION OF "NON PRODUCT-RELATED SERVICES INDUSTRIES" REFERRED TO IN MR MAN'S MOTION, THE CONSUMER COUNCIL ORDINANCE ALREADY ENABLES THE CONSUMER COUNCIL TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE INTERESTS OF CONSUMERS OF SERVICES. IN PARTICULAR, THE ORDINANCE WAS AMENDED IN EARLY 1992 TO EMPOWER THE COUNCIL TO DEAL WITH CONSUMER COMPLAINTS RELATING TO IMMOVABLE PROPERTY. THE COUNCIL IS REPRESENTED ON THE WORKING GROUP ON THE REGULATION OF REAL ESTATE AGENTS WHICH WAS RECENTLY ESTABLISHED TO STUDY THE OPERATION OF REAL ESTATE AGENTS AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK. THE GROUP AIMS TO PRODUCE ITS RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE SUMMER OF 1994.
/IN RELATION