CMA Powers, New Railway and Disabled Pay Gap
Consumer watchdog demands new powers to crack down on law breakers and 60 years on a defunct railway line in Devon re-opens.
CMA - The CMA has impressive powers to regulate competition in the UK but for the other, less well known, part of its brief as consumer champion it is pretty feeble. It can name and shame; issue warnings but can only force a company to act if it wins a court order. This is both time consuming and risky. The government launched a consultation, about greater powers in 2019- the CMA want them government to get on with it.
Norton Bikes -. One of those great British motoring brands, Norton Motorbikes, fell on hard times in the 60βs and 70βs and has experienced several βrescuesβ since will the latest attempt at resurrection work. Bob Walker reports.
Railways- The idea of reopening the railway lines closed in the notorious Beaching cuts of the 60s has often sounded more of a romantic notion than reality. But soon a stretch of line from Okehampton to Exeter in West Devon will open again to passengers and commuters, becoming the first to be reinstated under the Government's 'Restoring your Railway' initiative.
Disabled Work Experience - Research from the TUC and Leonard Cheshire shows that disabled people, especially the young, suffered disproportionately in employment, job security and income loss during the pandemic. Also, as has long been the case, they are paid less - 16% or an average of Β£3500 a year - although this gap has narrowed slightly. Leonard Cheshire and the TUC are jointly lobbying the government on this.
Banksβ¦ have wildly differing records in stepping up to reimburse customers who are βno faultβ victims of APP or push payment fraud according to a Which? investigation which analysed complaints to the Financial Ombudsman and found some banks at fault in nearly nine out of ten cases.
PRODUCER: KEVIN MOUSLEY
PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL