On 16 December 2010 the Group held a breakfast seminar meeting on how ‘the consumer’s voice’ will be affected by the Government’s proposals for ‘a better model for the consumer landscape’.

With the Group’s Secretary Yvonne Fovargue in the chair, a packed audience first heard from Consumer Affairs minister, Ed Davey. The minister explained the thinking behind the landscape review, making it clear that was not financially driven but was about concentrating and consolidating consumer empowerment work. Citizens Advice and Trading Standards were chosen, he said, because they are ‘brands which are well known and treasured’, though he did pay tribute to the ‘good work’ of other organisations in this field.

He announced that in March the Government will publish a consumer empowerment strategy as part of the Growth Review. One of the things it will be looking at is how collective purchasing could help empower local communities, particularly for ‘homogenous products’ such as insurance services.