Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) amending the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to include and (b) bringing into the scope of the Motor Ombudsman (i) small businesses run as limited companies and (ii) other small businesses; and what guidance he has issued to small businesses on their protections when purchasing faulty goods.

There are no current plans to amend the Consumer Right Act 2015 which focuses on transactions between businesses and consumers rather than between businesses. Under the Consumer Rights Act, consumers have several options when issues arise with goods and services.

• Within the initial 30 days, consumers can reject faulty items and claim a full refund.
• After the initial 30 days, consumers can request a repair or replacement for faulty goods.
• If goods are out of stock or a repair/replacement isn’t feasible (or the repair doesn’t fix the defect), consumers may be able to claim a partial or full refund.

The Department for Business and Trade has announced that it will be launching the Business Growth Service later this year to improve and streamline the support services on offer to small businesses.