That this House condemns the mis-selling of land, including greenbelt, rurally farmed and other rural and semi-rural land, on the basis of future development when there is no planning permission or likelihood of planning permission being granted and in many cases no realistic possibility of development on the site; and calls upon the Government to introduce legislation to outlaw this unacceptable practice and to regulate companies, including partnerships and individuals, who buy and sell land.

That this House condemns the mis-selling of land, including greenbelt, rurally farmed and other rural and semi-rural land, on the basis of future development when there is no planning permission or likelihood of planning permission being granted and in many cases no realistic possibility of development on the site; and...

That this House notes that the Government has acknowledged that there is a problem in relation to the regulation of endowment mortgages prior to 1st December 2001 whereby clients who accessed an endowment mortgage from a solicitor in Scotland who was not subject to Financial Services Authority regulation, do not benefit from the framework of protection afforded to others who have been mis-sold endowment policies; and calls on the Government to investigate a remedy to this grossly unfair anomaly.

That this House notes that the Government has acknowledged that there is a problem in relation to the regulation of endowment mortgages prior to 1st December 2001 whereby clients who accessed an endowment mortgage from a solicitor in Scotland who was not subject to Financial Services Authority regulation, do not...

That this House deplores the misleading claims by the 76 companies offering advice to those seeking compensation for mis-sold endowment mortgages; welcomes the advice of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) that `Some companies...make a charge which is usually a large percentage of any compensation the consumer receives. This service does not need to be regulated by the FSA. Using one of these companies to complain on your behalf may not increase your chances of getting compensation'; notes that these companies impose a charge of 10 to 41 per cent. of compensation received for advice which is often of little or no value; commends the splendid step by step advice available at no cost from Which? and the FSA; and calls for a regulated activities order under the Financial Services and Markets Act to make complaint handling for financial service products a regulated activity.

That this House deplores the misleading claims by the 76 companies offering advice to those seeking compensation for mis-sold endowment mortgages; welcomes the advice of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) that `Some companies...make a charge which is usually a large percentage of any compensation the consumer receives. This service does...

That this House is appalled by the further impoverishment of victims of endowment mis-selling; applauds the guidance freely available from Which? and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) on compensation claims; regrets that the spokesperson for the misleadingly named Endowment Justice company failed to mention these free services in her broadcasts last week, nor did she explain that those using her company's services will lose in commission charges 21 per cent. of any compensation gained; and is alarmed that companies, not controlled by the FSA, are again exploiting endowment victims with excessive charges for services of little or no value.

That this House is appalled by the further impoverishment of victims of endowment mis-selling; applauds the guidance freely available from Which? and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) on compensation claims; regrets that the spokesperson for the misleadingly named Endowment Justice company failed to mention these free services in her broadcasts...

That this House condemns energy companies that transfer consumers against their will or without their knowledge; recognises the distress and financial detriment this can cause to consumers; applauds Energywatch's Stop Now! Campaign to restore consumer confidence and order to the energy transfer and marketing process; welcomes Ofgem's decision to fine London Electricity ??2 million for persistently mis-selling; notes that the Energy Minister's deadline of six months to eradicate this problem is fast approaching; calls for the introduction of a system which protects consumers from being transferred without their prior knowledge and explicit consent; and recommends that individuals affected by any type of erroneous transfer or sales malpractice should receive automatic minimum compensation payments from the offending energy supplier.

That this House condemns energy companies that transfer consumers against their will or without their knowledge; recognises the distress and financial detriment this can cause to consumers; applauds Energywatch's Stop Now! Campaign to restore consumer confidence and order to the energy transfer and marketing process; welcomes Ofgem's decision to fine...

That this House congratulates the Financial Services Authority for imposing a time and compensation requirement of ??52 million on the Royal Scottish Assurance for mis-selling endowment mortgages; and looks forward to further fines and the punishment of directors and salespersons of companies who have acted improperly and impoverished millions of people by mis-selling pensions, mortgages and general insurance policies.

That this House congratulates the Financial Services Authority for imposing a time and compensation requirement of ??52 million on the Royal Scottish Assurance for mis-selling endowment mortgages; and looks forward to further fines and the punishment of directors and salespersons of companies who have acted improperly and impoverished millions of...

That this House notes that much distress has been caused by the past mis-selling of endowment policies linked to mortgages culminating in demands from insurance companies that many endowment holders must now increase their contributions in order to cover the investment shortfall of their endowment mortgages; notes that the Financial Services Authority is currently reviewing how to seek higher standards in future endowment selling; believes that past endowment mis-selling by the insurance industry raises many of the same issues as the mis-selling of private pensions over which the Government has already acted; and calls on the Government to take the lead working with the Financial Services Authority to establish the scale of past mis-selling, to name and shame the worst perpetrators of mis-selling and to establish arrangements by which the industry can compensate the victims.

That this House notes that much distress has been caused by the past mis-selling of endowment policies linked to mortgages culminating in demands from insurance companies that many endowment holders must now increase their contributions in order to cover the investment shortfall of their endowment mortgages; notes that the Financial...

That this House is alarmed at the continuing high sales of endowment mortgages; agrees with the Consumers' Association that endowments are 'risky inflexible products which typically pay seven times the commission of repayment mortgages'; calls for legislation to end the hidden charges and high redemption charges in other mortgages; and urges speedy compensation for the victims of mis-selling and the establishment of a financial advice service that will be independent of the selling process.

That this House is alarmed at the continuing high sales of endowment mortgages; agrees with the Consumers' Association that endowments are 'risky inflexible products which typically pay seven times the commission of repayment mortgages'; calls for legislation to end the hidden charges and high redemption charges in other mortgages; and...

That this House is alarmed at the evidence published in Financial Adviser and The Sunday Times that reveals that more than two million people may have been mis-sold endowment mortgages; notes that leading independent financial advisers stress that endowment mortgages have been unsuitable for virtually everyone for the past 10 years; regrets that the Personal Investment Authority/Financial Services Authority have not already acted despite evidence of widespread mis-selling revealed by the recent mystery shopper exercises by the Consumers' Association and Suffolk Trading Standards; and calls on the Treasury and FSA to launch an immediate investigation into mis-selling and urges them to consider outlawing endowment mortgages, as the United States has done, and to further consider whether compensation should be paid to those who have suffered financial losses.

That this House is alarmed at the evidence published in Financial Adviser and The Sunday Times that reveals that more than two million people may have been mis-sold endowment mortgages; notes that leading independent financial advisers stress that endowment mortgages have been unsuitable for virtually everyone for the past 10...

That this House applauds the Daily Mail's description of the action of banks and building societies in failing to reduce interest rates as 'greed, naked and unashamed'; notes that half of all mortgages were mis-sold in a recent survey in Suffolk; is concerned that a mortgage mis-selling scandal of epic proportions is occurring; believes that the mortgage industry should be placed under the control of the Financial Services Authority and that a windfall tax should be imposed on its unfair profits; and calls on the Government to establish a fee-based independent advice service to provide the public with advice on pensions, mortgages, investments and endowments that would be separate from the paid commission.

That this House applauds the Daily Mail's description of the action of banks and building societies in failing to reduce interest rates as 'greed, naked and unashamed'; notes that half of all mortgages were mis-sold in a recent survey in Suffolk; is concerned that a mortgage mis-selling scandal of epic...

That this House notes that widow's entitlement to an additional pension on the basis of her husband's SERPS contributions will be halved if her husband dies after 6th April 2000; further notes that the DSS leaflet on Retirement Pensions (NP45) was only amended to include this information in Spring 1996, 10 years after the changes were introduced by the previous Conservative administration, and that up to two million people may have been given misleading advice by the DSS as a result; is concerned that the DSS was still writing to enquirers as recently as the end of last year without telling them about the forthcoming halving of entitlement; notes the Government's action on pensions mis-selling, which placed the onus on private companies to contact all those who may have been affected and to advise them of their right to compensation; and calls on the Government to apply the same standards to itself in respect of SERPS entitlement.

That this House notes that widow's entitlement to an additional pension on the basis of her husband's SERPS contributions will be halved if her husband dies after 6th April 2000; further notes that the DSS leaflet on Retirement Pensions (NP45) was only amended to include this information in Spring 1996,...