We are asking our stakeholders what we should be doing on behalf of consumers in 2012/13.
Consumer Focus Scotland and Consumer Focus Wales will be consulting on Scotland and Wales specific work areas.
Consumer Focus works with a large number of stakeholders including other consumer bodies, campaigning charities, industry, regulators, governments, and the European Commission. Your views are important to us and help us concentrate on those areas where we can make the most positive impact for consumers. We are grateful to everyone who takes the time to share those views with us.
An uncertain time
Consumer Focus will continue to be a significant voice for consumers in 2012/13. However, we expect that the UK Government will announce its decisions regarding the reform of the consumer landscape, including the future of Consumer Focus, before we finalise our work plan in March 2012.
The breadth and character of the work we undertake will depend on those decisions and on the level of resource available to us.
Whatever the specific decisions will be, we will need to work ever more closely with bodies such as the Citizens Advice service and Which? to make sure that together we represent consumers’ interests in the most effective and efficient way.
Our plan
Our 2011/12 Annual Plan outlined our major areas of work for the current year. We said in the introduction to that plan that we intended to roll forward these broad areas of work into the coming year, resources permitting. That remains our intention.
Some of those areas of work relate to ongoing and complex programmes of reform in the energy market and postal services. We have a statutory role in relation to these markets and services, and we will continue this work.
Other areas our 2011/12 work plan relate to our work on financial services, consumer empowerment, copyright and the framework of consumer law. Consumer Focus has a great deal to contribute in these areas, but we may have to make our contribution with considerably fewer resources.
Depending on the resources available we may need to reduce or cease our work in certain areas outside our designated statutory responsibilities in the energy and postal markets. If we have to stop such work we will seek out ways in which the experience and learning that we have developed can be of practical value to others who represent the voice of consumers.
In energy
- We intend to continue our work on those major energy programmes that will impact on consumers over the coming years. These will include the Green Deal, the Smart Meter roll out, implementing the Retail Market Review reforms, the impact of environmental policies and commodity policies on consumer bills and the Hills review of Fuel Poverty. We will continue to speak up for domestic and small business consumers across the range of issues that affect them in the energy market.
In postal services
- In relation to postal services and post offices we will continue to represent the consumer interest as the regulatory regime for mail services changes, as the Universal Service Obligation is reviewed and as the post office network undergoes a major transformation.
Across regulated markets
- Working with other consumer bodies we will use our experience to intervene on consumer issues that cut across individual regulated sectors, including how initiatives on product simplification, collective consumer action and support for disadvantaged consumers can empower consumers across the economy.
On the international stage
- We will continue to work closely with other consumer organisations to make the voice of GB consumers heard on European and wider international stage.
Across the rest of the economy
- If resources allow, we will look to continue elements of our work across the rest of the economy. Consumer Focus has a lot more to contribute to influencing the shape and culture of new financial services regulation, a new legal framework for copyright in the digital age and how harnessing user experience can improve public and private services.
Managing change and transition
- Depending on the decisions made about our future, we will engage in a substantial programme of change throughout the coming year. Once we know the character and the timing of the changes, we will make every effort to keep all of our stakeholders informed about how we are making those changes work for consumers.
How can you help?
We want to hear from you about our broad areas of work and about our specific projects. Do these areas of work remain the right ones? Is there work we should stop doing or new areas of work that we should introduce to our work plan? Are there specific pieces of research or advocacy that need our attention?
We are asking for views on our work across the GB economy and for postal services in Northern Ireland. Consumer Focus Scotland and Consumer Focus Wales will engage with their stakeholders on priority areas of work on behalf of consumers in Scotland and Wales.
The circumstances in which we have to construct our work plan are uncertain. Other than in our statutory areas of advocacy in energy markets and postal services it is difficult to make concrete proposals now for our work programme next year.
Your views on where we need to focus our efforts will help us to concentrate our fewer resources on the areas that matter most.
Contact us
You can send us your comments by email [con.res@consumerfocus.org.uk] before 1 March 2012.
Please indicate if you would like to talk to us in person about our work plan or if you want to know about how we are making the changes to the consumer landscape work for consumers.
