Payday Loans Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: HM Treasury
Wednesday 11th December 2013

(10 years, 5 months ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Newby Portrait Lord Newby
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Almost certainly too high, my Lords.

Lord Mitchell Portrait Lord Mitchell (Lab)
- Hansard - -

My Lords, in 2008, 12 million people viewed advertisements for payday lending companies. Last year, the total was 7.5 billion. Do the Government feel that the time has come for us to ban advertising for payday lending on television, particularly when it is directed at children?

Lord Newby Portrait Lord Newby
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My Lords, the Advertising Standards Authority has been looking at a rising number of complaints about payday loan advertising on television. It has the power to ban misleading ads and already has done so in respect of ads placed, for example, by Cash Lady and FirstPayDayLoanUK. From April next year, the FCA will have the power to ban misleading financial promotions. It will be able to look at advertising and the whole way in which payday loans are promoted under that new power.