Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason the request by National Trading Standards for funding to enable it to resource an investigation into Park Home residents’ pitch fee agreements has been refused; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that consumer legislation to protect park home residents is enforced.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade has not received a request for additional funding from National Trading Standards (NTS) for such an investigation.
NTS operates independently and receives funding from the Department to respond to breaches of consumer law significant at a national or regional level. NTS base enforcement decisions on an intelligence-led assessment which determines their priorities.
The Government is seeking to strengthen consumer rights and their enforcement through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, including through enabling enforcement agencies to impose tougher fines on noncompliant businesses.