The Government is planning fundamental changes to UK consumer law, UK Business Secretary John Hutton has announced.

The changes, he claimed, will benefit consumers, reduce burdens for business and help enforcers.

"Developed over decades and comprising more than 100 different pieces of legislation, the UK's current system offers high standards of protection for consumers.

"But its complexity makes it hard to understand and costs business an estimated £1.25 billion every year," he said.

"It is clear that we must act to streamline these myriad rules to help consumers know and exercise their rights, cut red tape and target enforcement to weed out rogue traders."

The Government, he added, is seeking feedback on how to simplify the law to help reduce the burden on business, how to bring a small number of core consumer rights into a single Act of Parliament and how to resolve disputes.

In addition, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has commissioned a consumer survey from Ipsos Mori.

"This survey, the first of its kind in the UK, will shine a light on unfair or anti-competitive behaviour and root out problem sectors or industries," said Mr Hutton.