|
From: HUNT, Jeremy <HUNTJ@parliament.uk>
Sent: 04 September 2009 18:23
Dear David,
Thank you for writing to me about block exemption and the Right to Repair campaign.
Like you, I regard the current Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation as an important piece of protection against unfair, anti-competitive practises within
the vehicle repair marketplace. If the rules are changed - as the European Union seems keen to do - the impact on thousands of small businesses and
independent companies could, as you point out, be significant. The effects would not just be limited to Britain, of course; non-franchised garages and repair
shops right across Europe could be put out of business if vehicles owners are effectively forced to use manufacturers' services networks.
I am sure you will be pleased to hear that I firmly believe that motorists should have the right to chose where to take their vehicles to be repaired and serviced.
Of course, many will be happy to pay a premium and go to the manufacturers' approval service centres; however, we should not remove the choice to use
independent garages and suppliers. The automotive service and repair market must remain competitive.
I have written to the Secretary of State for Transport Andrew Adonis MP to make sure that he is aware of the strength of opinion on this issue, and to ask him
to set out the Government's position for you. I will, of course, send you a copy of his response as soon as I receive it. In the meantime, I can assure you that
Robert Goodwill MP, the Shadow Roads Minister, and Martin Callanan MEP who covers these issues for us in the European Parliament are closely monitoring
the situation and will be leading our opposition to these EU proposals.
Thank you for taking the time to write to me. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I can be of any further assistance in this, or any other matter.
Best wishes,
Jeremy
Member of Parliament
South West Surrey
From: HUNT, Jeremy <HUNTJ@parliament.uk>
Sent: 22 September 2009 19:14
Dear David,
Further to our previous correspondence about block exemption, I am pleased to report that I have now received the enclosed response from the Department for
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
I am sure you will be disappointed to read that the Minster responsible for this area, Kevin Brennan MP, confirms that the European Commission may indeed remove
the current Motor Vehicle Block Exemption when it expires in 2010, but I hope that you will be somewhat encouraged by their commitment to protecting the right of
access to information for the independent aftermarket. The European Commission has opened a public consultation on these proposals and you can access this from
the following link: ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/sectors/motor_vehicles/news.html
I hope that this response is of some interest. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you would like further clarification on the Government’s position on this issue.
In the meantime, thank you once again for taking the time to get in touch.
Best wishes,
Jeremy
Member of Parliament
South West Surrey
|
