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The direct marketing industry has won the surprise support of the

Consumers’ Association (CA) in its attempts to keep the electoral roll

available for commercial use.

The CA is backing marketing industry calls for the rejection of a

proposal in a Home Office working party report, which advocates

restrictions on the commercial use of data.

CA director Sheila McKechnie has written to Home Secretary Jack Straw to

ask him to rethink the proposals.

’We would like to focus on the potential increase in social exclusion

caused by a restriction on access to this data,’ says McKechnie in the

letter.

She continues: ’This proposal could create further barriers to obtaining

credit for vulnerable consumers. Namely, those who do not have

passports, driving licences or utility bills in their name, for whom the

present system works well.’

The letter accuses the working party of not understanding the

implications of a tick-box for consumers wishing to opt out of data

being used for commercial use. ’We are concerned that the potential

impact of this recommendation has not been thought through and urge you

to explore other alternatives,’ said McKechnie.

Colin Lloyd, chief executive of the Direct Marketing Association(DMA),

said: ’This is terrific news for us. I welcome the CA saying what it

has.’

McKechnie wrote to Straw after hearing representations from several DM

organisations, including the UK’s largest direct marketing agency, WWAV

Rapp Collins.

Robert Mayes, group director of communications at WWAV, said: ’We felt

that the message would be much stronger coming from organisations which

represent the interests of consumers.’

Straw is studying the working party proposals before making a final

decision.

The DMA is pushing for a compromise which involves both an information

leaflet, explaining to consumers the dangers of opting out, and imposing

tighter restrictions on companies that supply electoral roll data.