A NEW champion for consumer rights in Scotland is expected to be operational next year after legislation was passed by MSPs.
The Consumer Protection Bill will see the establishment of a new organisation of advocacy and advice called Consumer Scotland which the Scottish Government says will work to generate improved service, greater value for money and better buying choices for shoppers north of the border.
The body would aim to identify how and why consumers experience harm in Scotland and then propose solutions.
Some had expressed concern that much of the work proposed for the new body is already being done by other organisations and MSPs called for more detail about the form and functions of the new body to avoid duplication of work.
The Scottish Government has said the bodyh will work alongside existing consumer organisations and Trading Standards Scotland to represent the interests of Scottish consumers.
The new body will focus on campaigning on issues that particularly affect people in Scotland and will conduct in-depth investigations to identify and address underlying causes of harm.
Business minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Consumer Scotland will be a champion for everyone across Scotland, dedicated to investigating consumer harm and developing solutions to tackle it.
“The majority of our experiences when buying goods and services are positive, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes there are persistent problems that have a big impact – such as delivery charges in rural Scotland or a lack of access to cash machines – that need to be addressed.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on how we shop as well as the availability of goods and services, highlighting the importance of a powerful advocacy voice for consumers.
“In passing this bill today, the Scottish Parliament has helped ensure that a fairer Scotland means fairer outcomes for consumers."
Scotland’s national consumer advice service, consumeradvice.scot, said the proposal will deliver a "positive change" to the Scottish consumer landscape.
Andrew Bartlett, chief executive of consumeradvice.scot, said: “The creation of Consumer Scotland is an opportunity to establish a consumer champion for Scots.
“Following last year’s launch of the national consumer advice service, consumeradvice.scot, everyone in Scotland can receive free, impartial and practical advice.
“The next step on this journey is the creation of Consumer Scotland to be the voice of Scottish consumers - sending an important message that their opinions are valued.
“There will be a co-ordinated approach to collating information which our advisers receive directly from Scots consumers, so that future investigations by Consumer Scotland will offer a clear, objective picture of the consumer landscape.”
The Bill, which lays out how the new body would be created, states that a member will be appointed by the Scottish Ministers to chair Consumer Scotland, while between two and four other members will also appointed by the government.
Citizens Advice Scotland chief executive Derek Mitchell said was the organisation was looking forward to working in partnership with the new body to help deliver world class outcomes for consumers.
"Consumers are vital for a strong, sustainable and inclusive economy. Through their choices, they can encourage businesses to be ethical, efficient and innovative.
“The support offered by the Citizens Advice network to people across Scotland gives them an unparalleled insight into the lived experiences of those who are often most vulnerable, to that end we are in an unequalled position to continue to identify and highlight harm to consumers in Scotland.
“With the establishment of this new body working alongside the Citizens Advice network, Scotland can have the best of both worlds on consumer policy – data-driven intelligence and understanding based on the lived experiences of people.”
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