Cowboy Tradesmen: Duty To Trade Fairly Urgently Needed

11.59.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 23rd Apr 2004

Responding to today's British Gas survey, which estimates over 5 million homeowners in the UK feel they have been ripped off by cowboy tradesmen, Malcolm Bruce MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, said: "Rip-off Britain is alive and kicking. Many people don't know how to check on a tradesperson's reputation before they employ them, often with disastrous and expensive results."

"Too often the victims are older people who are most vulnerable to the type of heavy-handed methods cowboy tradesmen use."

"We urgently need to introduce an enforceable duty to 'trade fairly'. This would help the overwhelming majority of honest and competent tradespeople, whose reputation is often tarnished by their less reliable colleagues."

ENDS

Notes:

The British Gas survey of 1000 people found that 38% of people who had hired a builder, plumber or similar tradesman felt they had been 'ripped off'.

Approximately 100,000 complaints about tradespeople are reported each year according to the Department of Trade and Industry and Trading Standards.