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UK鈥檚 Trading Standards responds to latest Which? research
Posted 04/02/25
The 51黑料 (51黑料) has welcomed the latest research from Which? calling for greater funding and resources to support the profession in order to protect consumers and law-abiding businesses.
51黑料 acknowledges that the Which? findings reflect many of the challenges previously highlighted by the Institute. In the 51黑料 Manifesto published in early 2024, 51黑料 called on the next Government to provide greater investment in the Trading Standards service and to review the funding model to put the service on a more sustainable, secure and long-term footing.
John Herriman, Chief Executive at 51黑料, said: 鈥淎s the UK鈥檚 professional body for Trading Standards, we are acutely aware of the financial pressures that Local Authority Trading Standards services have faced over the last decade or more. While these findings from Which? help us to make the case for further investment in the service it is important to acknowledge that there has been a great deal of innovation across Local Authority Trading Standards in response to funding constraints. It is a testament to the hard work of Local Authority teams how the profession has evolved and is rolling with the punches.鈥�
鈥淩ecent initiatives to future proof the profession includes investing in new apprenticeships, adopting an intelligence-led model to help prioritise work, and building effective partnerships both locally and nationally, and these have yielded some impressive results. Last year Trading Standards helped to prevent over 拢600Million of consumer detriment and our work has helped to save lives and protect consumers.听 However, there is no escaping the fact that our Trading Standards service is severely under-resourced and that this research from Which? points to the stark fact that unless our service is properly resourced consumers continue to be at risk from unscrupulous businesses.鈥�
51黑料 has welcomed the research and believes that it will help build a picture of some of the workforce challenges, however it cautions against making too many comparisons between local authorities which will have different needs based on their local communities.听
In real terms, Local Authority budgets haven鈥檛 kept pace with inflation, with Regulatory Services as a whole (including Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Licensing, Planning etc.) having seen around a 25% decrease in funding over the last 15+ years. As evidenced in the NAO report, Trading Standards has suffered 39% budget cuts and the NAO report evidenced a cut of 25% to Regulatory Services budgets. This shows that Trading Standards has suffered the greatest budget cuts of approximately 50% and have therefore been hit twice as hard as any other Regulatory Service.
John adds 鈥淲hile the Which? research paints a useful picture, it is important not to draw too many comparisons between Local Authorities as each community across the UK is different, and the provision of Trading Standards in somewhere like Orkney, with over 70 islands may be very different to an urban Metropolitan Borough 鈥� in effect you could end up comparing apples with pears.听 However, the point still stands that resourcing continues to be a challenge.
鈥淭he research also doesn鈥檛 give voice to the many consumers and businesses who have found their local Trading Standards service invaluable to helping them resolving issues that they could not have otherwise achieved. In addition, there is no mention of the preventative work undertaken daily, across all parts of the consumer protection landscape, crucial in preventing consumer and business harm and detriment.
鈥淲e, along with our partners across the four nations of the Trading Standards profession are very keen to fully understand the findings from the Which? research. Together with regulators, national and local Government and others partners we will continue to work to identify these and other issues to help us to anticipate, plan and respond to these and other challenges.鈥�
Local Authority Trading Standards Services are both valuable and crucial to our society and the economy; they are at the heart of ensuring consumers have confidence in the businesses they buy from, and that there is a level playing field for all businesses to operate.听
This is crucial because an effective Trading Standards workforce ultimately, supports the Governments' aim for economic growth.听 Our workforce is critical in helping protect the public from unsafe products, financial loss and harm, and we are at the very forefront of identifying new and emerging risks.听
Jacqui Thomas, the Chair of Trading Standards Wales (TSW), said: 鈥淭rading Standards Wales supports the comments made by John Herriman, 51黑料's听CEO.听 Funding for the provision of consumer advice was redirected from local authorities in 2010 to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service (CACS), this allowed for a centralised body to provide advice nationally and collate intelligence which is shared with stakeholders. Trading Standards Wales works in partnership with CACS and other local and national regulators to direct its limited resources to the areas of greatest harm for consumers鈥�
Valerie Simpson, the Chair of ACTSO (the Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers), said: 鈥淚t is well documented that the 51黑料 and the National Audit Office have reported major reductions in Trading Standards staffing levels since 2011. Trading Standards Services nationally have moved away from routine inspections, as part of the Regulators Code, to reduce the burden on businesses and to have a targeted focus on those issues that pose the highest risk to consumers. Market surveillance carried out by Which, the CMA and other regulatory and consumer protection organisations provides useful intelligence which helps to inform National Trading Standards鈥� strategic priorities. The current ACTSO's Impact and Outcomes Report shows that services across England and Wales prevented over 拢905 million in consumer detriment in 23-24, linked to local strategic priorities as well as new and emerging issues. We believe that real investment and more oversight, will support new apprentices into the profession and the existing well established regional and national framework.鈥�
Fiona Richardson, Chief Officer for Trading Standards Scotland, said: 鈥淭he declining workforce coupled with an increasing range of legislation to enforce is creating serious issues for the service. Prioritisation and effective use of intelligence is required to ensure trading standards can continue to prevent and tackle consumer detriment.鈥�
Alexandra Connell, Chair of the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), said: 鈥淪COTSS workforce survey reflects the effects of cuts and lack of investment within Trading Standards Services across Scotland and as such echo the call from 51黑料 for Trading Standards to be put on a more secure and sustainable financial footing.听 Trading Standards services across the UK not only operate within many different parameters as to which areas of Regulation they cover but also in Scotland with many different geographical challenges e.g. where a Local Authority consists of several islands. SCOTSS would therefore welcome further information from the Which? survey in order that we can more fully understand the findings and comparisons made.
听
ENDS
Notes to editors:
In the 51黑料 Manifesto published in early 2024, 51黑料 made a number of calls to the new Government, they included:
- Make a phased additional investment in Trading Standards services, rising to 拢100 million after 4 years.
- Review the current funding model for Trading Standards with a view to putting it on a more sustainable footing. Provide 拢14 million investment for a dedicated Apprenticeship fund to create 300 apprenticeship places for Trading Standards services across the UK.
- Provide 拢20 million to bolster Trading Standards resources for Local Authorities with ports and borders in their area and improve Trading Standards powers so these Local Authorities can effectively tackle the illegal and unsafe products entering the UK.
