When Vince Cable issued his BIS consumer landscape review statement earlier this month he made it very clear that the future was to be built on the twin pillars of Citizens Advice and Trading Standards.
TSI and its members delivering trading standards across the local government spectrum have always had a strong and productive relationship with Citizens Advice and with the nearly 400 CABx spread across England and Wales. Similarly with Citizens Advice Scotland and its member CABx.
Following the Secretary of State's announcement however, that relationship must reach new levels of collaboration and productivity. We must seek to ensure the transfer of the Consumer Direct GB helpline to Citizens Advice serves to be even more supportive of consumers, and trading standards services and the business community. They have a reliance on its information and data in the improvement of business behaviour towards consumers and the enforcement of consumer and other criminal law against the rogue element.
Today I met with the CEO of Citizens Advice and together we have begun to create the foundations of the new consumer landscape with our two organisations at its heart. We shall need to embrace many others, including local government, the private sector and our colleagues in the devolved nations. We are confident of meeting the challenge set by the coalition Government but we shall need its wholehearted support. There is little time to waste.
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Scotland has a devolved government but a nation cannot be devolved. I hope our Vice President Dave Thompson hasn't read your blog Ron!
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