Ministers plan consumer law shake-up following retail Red Tape Challenge
The government is to consolidate more than 12 pieces of overlapping consumer rights law with a single new piece of legislation, ministers have announced.
The move is part of a shake-up of regulations affecting retailers in response to the so-called ‘Red Tape Challenge’.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said more than 160 regulations – out of the 257 on which the government had invited comment – would be either scrapped or simplified.
The proposals also include consolidating and simplifying the procedures for age verification or identification for the selling of age-restricted goods.
Other suggested changes are:
- Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2010: These ban sales to the public of certain types of firework and age restrict sales. The government is to reduce the age that Christmas crackers can be bought from 16 to 12.
- Imitation Dummies (Safety) Regulations 1993: These prohibit the supply of goods which could be mistaken as dummies for babies. “These are being scrapped as it is duplication and consumers are already protected by the General Product Safety Regulations.”
- Indication of Prices (Beds) Order 1978: This prohibits anyone selling a bed from indicating at what price it could be resold at. It will be scrapped.
- Pencils and Graphic Instruments (Safety) Regulations 1998: These aim to protect people from exposure to heavy metals in pencil coatings. “This is being scrapped as it is duplication and consumers are already protected by the General Product Safety Regulations.”
- Licensing Act 2003: A provision of this Act requiring a shop selling liqueur chocolates to have an alcohol licence will be scrapped.
- Bunk Beds (Entrapment Hazards) (Safety) Regulations 1987: These aim to ensure that bunk beds do not pose a safety risk. The regulations will be scrapped “as it is duplication and consumers are already protected by the General Product Safety Regulations”.
- Children's Clothing (Hood Cords) Regulations 1976:These aim to ensure that hood cords in clothing do not pose a safety risk. They are being scrapped, again on the grounds of duplication and consumers already being protected by the General Product Safety Regulations.
- Wheeled Child Conveyances (Safety) Regulations 1997: These outlines standards for prams and pushchairs. They will be scrapped.
However, there will be no changes to the laws on Sunday trading and rules covering areas such as the hallmarking of goods.
The government said almost 9,000 comments had been received on the retail part of the Red Tape Challenge.
Cable said: “We have to roll back the number of rules and regulations that our businesses have to deal with if we are to create the right conditions for sustainable economic growth. We have heard these promises by successive governments before but these first proposals from the Red Tape Challenge show that we’re serious about doing that and we are making real progress.
“But this is just the start. We still need the help of business and the public to make the rest of the Red Tape Challenge a success and free businesses to compete, create jobs and unleash a private sector-led recovery.”
