My work on the PRAM Bill

Recently, I have also had the pleasure of serving on my second Parliamentary Bill Committee sitting on the Product Regulation and Metrology (PRAM) Bill. Despite the intimidatingly ambiguous title the Bill itself is fairly straight forward as far as legislation goes. 

In a nutshell the PRAM Bill is being put forward to update the previous legislation which dates back to the Consumer Protection Act of 1987. The shift to online shopping, the emergence of e-commerce business models and the development of digital supply chains has necessitated an update of the law to ensure products sold in the UK remain safe.

One key reason for the PRAM Bill is to provide the Government with the flexibility to align with or diverge from EU product regulations on a case-by-case basis. 

As a Liberal Democrat this is an issue that am passionate about, so I was more than happy for the opportunity to scrutinise the legislation. I had the privilege of starting the batting order for the Liberal Democrats on the first day of the Committee with our New Clause on alignment with EU law.

As a small business owner for over twenty years, I understand that a lot of our small enterprises find that exporting to the EU is an important part of their business, so they need clarity and certainty if any legislation or product safety regulations are going to change or diverge. 

The New Clause I argued for on the Bill would ensure that any such change, whether we aligned closer to EU standards or diverted from them, is subject to proper Parliamentary scrutiny and review. Ultimately, this Clause is about giving UK businesses the confidence they need—confidence that changes in regulation are being made with their interests in mind and are backed by a clear rationale.

I also proposed a New Clause on the Bill which would ensure that a centralised Product Recall Mechanism is established to protect consumers from any potential safety risks from faulty products. 

Importantly, the clause also guarantees consumer rights during a recall, giving them, a right to a refund, replacement, or repair within a reasonable timeframe. 

The Clause would also provide consumers access to support and guidance, even in cases where the product is no longer being manufactured. I don’t think the current system is working and I don’t think it is always easy for people to know what products have been recalled. 

This clause seeks to rectify that by building a centralised, transparent recall mechanism that has been long overdue. Unsafe products must be removed from circulation swiftly, and consumers must be able to take action easily and confidently. 

Unfortunately, the Government voted against these amendments, and they did not pass into the Bill but myself and my Liberal Democrat colleagues will continue fighting for the best interests of Britain.