Edinburgh Conference 29-30 May 2007, “Fair enough? UK Credit Options in 2007”

The second UK conference on Responsible Credit will take place on 29th and 30th May 2007 at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, with an expected 100 delegates from across the U.K and with guests from the European Coalition for Responsible Credit (ECRC). It is being hosted by Citizens Advice Scotland and Debt on our Doorstep and the proceedings from the conference will feed into the ECRC’s forthcoming European conference to be held in Brussels on the 14th and 15th September 2007.

OBJECTIVES

Is the UK on the verge of a debt crisis? Household borrowing has expanded enormously in the past five years, and now tops over £1 trillion. Mortgage repossessions and credit defaults are on the rise, and insolvency and consumer credit legislation has recently been subject to major reform to update it for today’s market. There is growing criticism of the financial services industry for irresponsible lending practices, the levying of high default fees, and for mis-selling Payment Protection Insurance. At the same time, policy-makers have expressed concern that low income consumers are excluded from affordable credit options and the Treasury Select Committee has called on banks to disclose the extent of their lending to low income communities. Recent reports from the Department of Trade & Industry and the Competition Commission reveal that the UK’s poorest borrowers are reliant on high cost, and sometimes illegal, credit to make ends meet.

The Conference will explore and report on:

The extent of over-indebtedness and insolvency and the drivers behind this
How low income borrowers can be provided with a route to financial inclusion
The role of better financial education in preventing debt
How to combat predatory and extortionate lending.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

The conference aims to bring together a wide range of agencies with an interest in the agendas of debt and financial inclusion including MSPs, MPs, policy-makers and their advisers, the third sector (e.g. campaign groups, credit unions and community development finance institutions), housing associations, local authorities, money advice agencies, and the financial services industry. If you have an interest in the agendas of debt and financial inclusion then this conference is for you!

PROGRAMME – DAY ONE

09:30	Coffee
10:00	Welcome and introduction Graham Blount, Chair, Citizens Advice Scotland
10:15	Fair and responsible? The currency of lending Panel discussion on the current UK credit market chaired by Lesley Riddoch, Journalist, with: Mark Lazarowicz MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Personal Finance, Damon Gibbons, Chair of Debt on our Doorstep, Mark Lyonette, Chief Executive of Association of British Credit Unions Phil Tinsley, Director, British Bankers
11:15	Keynote Address Communities Minister, Scottish Executive
11:45	Workshops 1
12:45	Lunch
13:45	Workshops 2
14:45	Coffee
15:05	Who owes who? Debt vs detriment Panel discussion on creditor and debtor obligations chaired by Jackie Baillie MSP, with: Mike Dailly, Govan Law Centre Michael Green, University of Wales David Rees, Group Legal Advisor at Provident Financial plc Anthony Sharp, Anthony Sharp Associates
16:05	Closing Remarks
16:15	Close

18:00 - 20:00	Scottish Parliament Reception (A parliamentary reception with buffet and wine, hosted by the Cross Party Cross Parliamentary Group on Tackling Debt)

Workshops to choose from:

Delegates can choose two of the following four workshops on day one:

Insolvency: dissolution?
Perspectives on changes to insolvency in Scotland and in England and Wales

Usury: criminal offence or necessary evil?
Should extortionate interest rates be a crime?

Poor choice: banking and borrowing on a low income
Should banking be a universal obligation? Is current lending practice discriminatory?

Assets for everyone
Is there enough to go round? Examining the pros and cons of an asset based approach for low income households

PROGRAMME - DAY TWO

09:30	Coffee
10:00	Welcome and introduction Graham Blount, Chair, Citizens Advice Scotland
10:15	Eurovision: who are the winners? Panel discussion on the European dimension to debt and credit regulation, chaired by John Edward, Head of European Parliament Office in Scotland, with: Mick McAteer, Consumer Advocate Udo Reifner, European Coalition for Responsible Credit Professor Jenny Hamilton, University of Strathclyde Law School Representative from Department of Trade and Industry (tbc)
11:15	Coffee
11:30	Workshops 3
12:30	Lunch
13:30	Workshops 4
14:30	Coffee
14:50	Cash for Questions - Interactive voting session on issues raised in the conference
15:40	Closing remarks
16:00	Close of Conference

Workshops to choose from:

Delegates can choose two of the following four workshops on day two:

Better regulate than dither: what more needs done?
The strengths and weaknesses of the Consumer Credit Act and current regulatory regime

Across the divide – can credit unions and CDFI bridge the gap?
Looking at the opportunities and the limits of local finance

Educating Peter to pay Paul?
Exploring an appropriate role for financial education

Crediting community: local action for financial inclusion
Encouraging and replicating what works on the ground.

REGISTRATION AND MORE INFORMATION:
Contact person: Kirsten Cameron, Tel: 0131 550 1017, Fax: 0131 550 1001,
E-mail: kirsten.cameron@cas.org.uk
Booking deadlines: All bookings by Friday 27th April 2007!!
Full Conference Programme: pdf file (click here)
Link to more detail on the conference by Citizens Advice Scotland: www.cas.org.uk/ukcoconference.aspx
Registration form: (click here) To register online: (click here)

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