Day 050 - 10 Nov 94 - Page 05
1 understood by the public, in your experience?
2 A. I cannot say whether they are widely understood by the
3 public, but they have been in existence for many years.
4 They have been scrutinised fairly closely. Certainly in
5 the case of the ASA, they are set out fairly well in the
6 code, the British Code of Advertising Practice, which the
7 ASA implements.
8
9 So, I think the answer is that they should be reasonably
10 well understood, though of course somebody making a
11 complaint for the first time would not necessarily know
12 exactly how the system worked.
13
14 Q. If I was to say to you that I had never personally heard of
15 the ITC complaints body, myself, but I had heard of the
16 ASA?
17 A. Yes.
18
19 Q. I believe, is it not a fact, that the ASA have actually
20 advertised their existence?
21 A. Oh, yes. They have a lot of advertising space, some of
22 which they pay for and much of which is donated by the
23 media for no charge, advertising the fact and a very simple
24 explanation of work of the ASA. But I should point out
25 that the ITC has also advertised the fact that people can
26 complain.
27
28 Q. Is that on television?
29 A. Yes, on television -- a number of times over the years.
30 They do not do it all the time, but from time to time
31 when it is an appropriate period -- January, for example --
32 they will have free space donated for their own campaign.
33
34 Many of the complaints which the ASA receive do, in fact,
35 refer to television, and they pass them on to the ITC; and
36 all of us regard that as an acceptable arrangement. If
37 individual consumers are not entirely clear to whom they
38 should complain, and complain to the ASA, that is all
39 right; the complaint will get picked up by the right
40 person.
41
42 Q. Just while I am on the ASA, the CAP is the body that
43 advises the ASA; is that correct?
44 A. Yes.
45
46 Q. That is an industry body; is that correct?
47 A. Yes, it is.
48
49 Q. So it is what you might call "self-regulating"?
50 A. That is correct.
51
52 Q. An industry body, rather than a body that is made up of a
53 wider cross section of consumer advocates, or ---
54 A. That is correct.
55
56 Q. But the ITC complaints are dealt with by a broader body; is
57 that correct?
58 A. Not really correct. The British Code of Advertising
59 Practice that is drawn up, which the ASA implements, is
60 drawn up by industry representatives, hence it is clearly
