Car servicing standards welcomed by minister

Car insurance customers may be among those welcoming the recent announcement that the vehicle repairs industry is to establish a code of practice.

Gareth Thomas, consumer minister, has outlined his enthusiasm for the code, which was also welcomed last week by the National Consumer Council.

Mr Thomas stated that shoddy repair work could be costing consumers an estimated £4 billion every year - potentially also resulting in car insurance claims for some motorists.

"Clearly something needs to be done and I am reassured that the industry is taking positive steps to address this issue," he said.

He urged garages to join up to the code so that rogue firms could be driven out and consumers could be given help in choosing a workshop with high standards.

Meanwhile, Roger Putnam, CBE, chairman of the Retail Motor Strategy Group and the former chairman of Ford, said that the decision came as a result of hard work and highlighted the dedication of the motor servicing industry to address the issue.

"That desire will now drive the process forward to public launch," he added.

Also welcoming the announcement, Colin Brown, policy director at the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), said that preparations for the new code had advanced greatly during 2007 and the decision had boosted the code's progress towards completing the OFT's approval process.

The code will be submitted to the OFT for formal approval in the near future and a website will be set up.

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