Compensation when businesses act unfairly

Following pressure from NCC, the Law Commission is bringing forward its work on a private right of redress under the new Consumer Protection Regulations (CPR).

Commenting on the news, Carl Belgrove said: "Work was not going to start on this until 2010 so we're delighted these new laws will be considered sooner. The new regulations were a big boost for consumer protection when they came into force earlier this year. But they lacked a way for consumers to claim compensation when businesses act unfairly.

"In Ireland, a civil redress mechanism has been in place since last year. Sadly, the UK was slow off the mark so a fully functioning compensation system is still some way off. We encourage the Law Commission and Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) to start work on this project at the earliest opportunity."

No timetable has yet been set but the Law Commission is currently discussing progress with BERR.