Abolishing agency 'will undermine consumer'

A DECISION to scrap a quango which has fought for consumer rights and was a leading watchdog for the Post Office has been met with anger.

Question marks have been raised over why Consumer Focus and its Scottish equivalent Consumer Focus Scotland have been abolished just 24 hours after reforms to Royal Mail and the Post Office network were announced.

The quango had been critical of the government's proposals and raised doubts over elements of the privatisation plan.

In a statement yesterday it also pointed out that it managed to win 70 million back for energy consumers in the UK last year.

Some of its duties will be transferred to the Citizens Advice Bureau. However CAB has already raised concerns that it does not have the resources to cope with its current workload which has been increased by the economic downturn.

Cathy Jamieson, Labour MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, expressed concern over the decision. She said: "It is absolutely astonishing that 24 hours after publishing proposals for a major shake-up in postal services in Scotland - the government is planning to axe the one body acting in the public interest. It would seem that they are paying the price for standing up for the interests of the wider public.

"By abolishing Consumer Focus, citizens' rights are going to be severely undermined. It is a fantasy to assume that Citizens Advice or Trading Standards would have the capacity to carry out its statutory, research or information giving functions."

Mike O'Connor, chief executive of Consumer Focus, said: "I am immensely proud of what we have achieved. Government has decided to transfer at least some of our functions to Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland.

"The issue now is not who does the work but that the work is done well, at a time when consumers are facing difficult economic circumstances, especially those who are vulnerable."