The MP's campaign-Responses

[jessica'smum]

Here's my letter to Daniel Kawczynski, the tallest MP in history and member for Shrewsbury:

 

I am sure you are aware of the agreement by the major banks and the Office of Fair Trading to go to the High Court in order to decide once and for all if the amount they take from personal accounts in unauthorised overdraft charge levels is lawful.

 

I am sure you are also aware that the major banks have, without ever admitting liability, paid out millions of pounds to customers who have asked for their money back. They will not admit what the actual cost of these charges are, but experts agree the real cost is definitely less than the £30-£39 charged at the moment.

 

Until the court case has been resolved, the OFT has agreed to allow the banks to put on hold any payments or court proceedings they may face, while allowing them to continue to take these penalty charges.

 

Please can you, as my MP, use your influence to find out if the OFT's decision to put current claims on hold can be stopped, or, in the interests of fairness to the customers, if the banks could likewise agree to put their unauthorised overdraft charges on hold until the case is decided at the High Court.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

jessica'smum

 

I sent it middle of last week through theyworkforyou. He is usually as keen as mustard to help and handwrote an answer to my last question, so here's hoping!

[jessica'smum]

My reply arrived in the post from Daniel Kawczynski, Shrewsbury (the tallest MP in history, dontyaknow).

 

Got home yesterday to find a House of Commons envelope on the mat (and a slightly impressed hubby who didn't know I'd written). It was reassuringly stuffed too, so I thought this will be good.

 

Opened it to find a three line covering letter from his Parliamentary Assistant and a letter from Gareth Thomas MP (the splendidly-titled Undersecretary of State for Trade and Comsumer Affairs) with my name as a reference so it wasn't just a copy, simply explaining what the OFT was up to. As if I didn't know that already!

 

So a reply of sorts, but nothing positive. I would believe Danny boy might be on holiday or something but judging by the number of times his mug's in the local paper, he isn't.

 

Might just break the habit of a lifetime and go to one of his surgeries...

 

Jessica'smum

 

Halifax1 £2,100 paid in full, March 2007

Halifax2 £208, all taken since May, N1 filed, waiting for August 30 to come...

A&L £900 LBA being sent this week

 

"If you tell me what each charge really costed, I'd be happy to pay that" – j'smum to Halifaxman, April 2007.