PRESS RELEASE

22 June 2004

OTTAWAY OPPOSES CLOSURE OF CONSUMER ADVICE SERVICE

Richard Ottaway, Conservative MP for Croydon South, is concerned to learn that the Consumer Advice Service provided by Croydon Council's Trading Standards Department is under threat of closure.

"Croydon's Consumer Advice Service (CAS) has been providing the people of
Croydon with expert consumer advice for many years and is a much valued
service. I am appalled that the Council is considering closing the service in an
attempt to balance its budget."

"The Government is proposing to set up a new telephone and online Consumer
Direct service in 2005 to provide consumer advice but this will not meet the
needs of all and in particular those vulnerable consumers who want face-to-face
help.

"According to the DTI the whole purpose of the Consumer Direct service is to
remove the burden for local authorities in dealing with routine enquiries thus
relieving the CAS to concentrate on complex cases involving specialist advice,
face to face assistance and intervention on behalf of consumers when
necessary."

"Consumer Direct is not an opportunity for Croydon to cut its Consumer Advice
Service and I am utterly opposed to any proposals to do so"

ENDS

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