NICEIC welcomes Government’s Consumer White Paper

NICEIC has welcomed the Consumer White Paper recently published by Government. In particular, the commitment to work with enforcement authorities, business and scheme operators to help raise awareness of schemes designed to safeguard the consumer has been seen by NICEIC as a step in the right direction.

The paper also outlines new powers for the courts to ban persistent rogue traders, a national specialist team for internet enforcement to tackle scams which con consumers on the internet, a central fund to tackle rogue traders operating on a large scale and a pilot scheme giving Trading Standards officers powers to help consumers get money back.

“This White Paper is good news for the consumer and commits Government to bring industry, authorities and schemes together to provide clear messages on the roles and benefits of different schemes and the benefits of dealing with accredited scheme members,” comments Emma McCarthy, chief operating officer of the NICEIC Group. “For many years NICEIC has called for more action from Government to communicate the benefits of competent persons’ schemes. Now this document commits the Government to encouraging consumers to make informed decisions about home improvement traders as well as finding good advice and information.”