Financial Guidance and Claims Bill [Lords] — House of Commons, 2018-04-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce
John Philip Glen (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his remarks. I always listen very carefully to what he says. We have made provision for additional bans to take place very quickly, and if my optimism is misplaced, I would expect the body to act. I will continue to have a deep dialogue with the right hon. Gentleman on these matters Question put and agreed to. New clause 4 accordingly read a Second time, and added to the Bill. New Clause 9 Unsolicited direct marketing: pensions (No. 2) ‘(1) The Secretary of State may make regulations prohibiting unsolicited direct marketing relating to pensions (2) The regulations may— (a) make provision about when a communication is to be, or is not to be, treated as unsolicited; (b) make provision for exceptions to the prohibition; (c) confer functions on the Information Commissioner and on OFCOM (including conferring a discretion); (d) apply (with or without modifications) provisions of the data protection legislation or the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2426) (including, in particular, provisions relating to enforcement) (3) The regulations may— (a) make different provision for different purposes; (b) make different provision for different areas; (c) make incidental, supplementary, consequential, transitional or saving provision (4) Regulations under this section are to be made by statutory instrument (5) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament (6) If before the end of June in any year the Secretary of State has not made regulations under this section (whether or not in that year), the Secretary of State must— (a) publish a statement, by the end of July in that year, explaining why regulations have not been made and setting a timetable for making the regulations, and (b) lay the statement before each House of Parliament (7) In this section, "OFCOM" means the Office of Communications established by section 1 of the Office of Communications Act 2002.’—(Guy Opperman.) This new clause inserts a new power for the Secretary of State to make regulations (subject to the affirmative procedure) banning unsolicited direct marketing relating to pensions. If the power is not exercised by June, the Secretary of State must explain to Parliament why not. This new clause would be inserted after Clause 24. Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill. Clause 2 Objectives Amendment proposed: 39, page 2, line 23, leave out from "accordingly" to the end of line 24 and insert— "(da) to ensure the needs of people in vulnerable circumstances, including but not exclusively— (i) those who suffer long-term sickness or disability, (ii) carers, (iii) those on low incomes, and (iv) recipients of benefits, are met and that resources are allocated in such a way as to allow specially trained advisers and guidance to be made available to them,".—(Neil Gray.) This amendment would require that specially trained advisers and guidance are made available to people in vulnerable circumstances and would provide an indicative list of what vulnerable circumstances should include. Question put, That the amendment be made.