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Consumer Scotland Act 2020 - Annual statement 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025

South Lanarkshire Council is a relevant public authority in terms of the Consumer Scotland Act 2020 (Relevant Public Authorities) Regulations 2024 Act) which means that it must meet the four requirements of the Consumer Scotland Act 2020 (the 2020 Act), which are:

  • When making decisions of a strategic nature, have regard to the impact those decisions have on consumers 
  • When making decisions of a strategic nature, have regard to the desirability of reducing harm to consumers 
  • Publication of information about the steps taken to meet the duty
  • Having regard to the Consumer Scotland guidance on how to meet the consumer duty 

The 2020 Act came into force on 1 April 2024, and more information about the legislation and the council’s duties can be found on the website of Consumer Scotland.

The council has met all of the requirements of the 2020 Act during the year 1 April 2024 – 30 March 2025. The council has done this by taking a number of actions, including the following:-

  1. Reporting the new duty to the council’s Executive Committee on 7 August 2024, with the council adopting an outcomes-based approach to assessing potential consumer duty impacts when making strategic decisions; 
  2. Reporting the new duty to the South Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board on 24 September 2024, with the Integration Joint Board also adopting an outcomes-based approach to assessing potential consumer duty impacts when making strategic decisions; 
  3. A corporate communication on the council’s intranet site to raise awareness of the duty with staff; 
  4. Delivering training to council employees and Elected Members on the 2020 Act; 
  5. Adopting an outcomes-based approach by including a specific section on the 2020 Act in the new Integrated Impact Assessments that the council and Integration Joint Board also agreed to adopt in 2024, and 
  6. By making this annual statement. 

These actions demonstrate that the council has put consumer outcomes at the heart of its strategic decision-making by having regard to the impact those decisions have on consumers and to the desirability of reducing harm to consumers. 

The council will continue to monitor and build upon its work in complying with the 2020 Act and will report on any changes made as a result as appropriate.

Jackie Taylor (Executive Director – Finance and Corporate)
Date: 2 May 2025