News
Investment in Trading Standards is vital in tackling the threat from criminality plaguing UK high streets
Posted 07/08/25
The 51黑料 (51黑料) has echoed concerns raised by the commercial consumer organisation Which? expressing concerns that cuts to Trading Standards is contributing to an increased threat to consumers and law-abiding businesses, including on the UK鈥檚 High Streets.
The calls from Which? support campaigning from 51黑料 to prioritise investment in the UK鈥檚 Trading Standards Profession in both the short and the long term to support the Government's aims of economic growth and better protect consumers.
Duncan Stephenson Director of Policy and External Affairs said:
鈥淭he picture painted by Which? is bleak, but one that resonates 鈥� the chickens are unfortunately coming home to roost on over a decade of cuts to Trading Standards services, and we wholeheartedly agree that we need more boots on the ground, and greater investment in the Trading Standards Service within local communities to tackle the threat posed by organised criminality and to better protect consumers.鈥�
鈥淒espite the challenging circumstances Trading Standards continues to work in partnership with national regulators, Government agencies and the police to address the many threats posed to law abiding businesses and to UK consumers 鈥� such as rogue traders and doorstep crime. The most fundamental issue is one of resources and this as Which? rightly points out this urgently needs to be addressed. We also need to counter the ongoing threats to High Streets from Organised Crime Groups, identified by our profession as the biggest threat facing them currently. Ultimately the change we all want to see will come down to much needed resources not restructures 鈥� UK consumers need to see investment in the Trading Standards workforce to resolve many of the issues that Which? rightly raise.鈥�
51黑料 has long highlighted the importance of a community鈥檚 local Trading Standards service in delivering their vital consumer protection role, supporting legitimate businesses and tackling unscrupulous businesses who undermine consumer and market confidence. Business and consumers rely on their local Trading Standards service to protect them from the effects of criminality and protect public health and legitimate livelihoods.
51黑料 adds that Trading Standards teams continue to collaborate, working with other local and national agencies and regulators to respond to local and national priorities and needs such as safeguarding, economic growth, product and food safety and the challenges caused by the cost of living, and the effects these have on society, the economy and the community. By being based within local communities Trading Standards are able to respond to both local needs as well as national priorities. It would be difficult to put in place an 鈥渦mbrella鈥� over all of the work that Trading Standards does to prioritise it, due to the vast amount of differing yet vital work the profession undertakes every day.
The Trading Standards profession makes use of locally gathered intelligence to input into and create a wider, national intelligence picture. Every Local Authority Trading Standards service uses the same intelligence database reporting system, so intelligence is shared universally and can be accessed and seen by all Local Authority Trading Standards services and some partner enforcement agencies, such as the National Food Crime Unit.
Jessica Merryfield, Head of Policy & Campaigns at 51黑料, and a Chartered Trading Standards Practitioner said: 鈥淲ith Local Government Reorganisation underway, it is important to recognise and understand the value of this often-hidden profession to its community, the local economy, the national regulators and overarching Governmental aims and ambitions. Whilst the Which? report makes some interesting suggestions regarding reform, the immediate priority must be long term, sustainable funding and resourcing of this vital profession to reverse the erosion of resources over the last decade or more to ensure consumers and legitimate businesses are protected. Without addressing this issue, and making planned, structured investments into place-based delivery of Trading Standards, all other efforts to safeguard consumers will not have the desired impact. The structure is already there; investment in resourcing is what is needed.鈥�
Trading Standards continues to address emerging issues and prioritise threats to businesses and consumers and to that end there are major programmes of work delivered by National Trading Standards鈥� covering issues including: Scams, eCrime, Estate Agents and Letting Agents, as well as Regional Investigations Teams. This is an existing model that has proven results, with centralised, accessible expertise which helps coordinate the local, regional and national approaches in these areas.
Trading Standards also responds to new and emerging issues including most recently working with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to counter the threat posed by the rise is illicit vaping products and underage sales. When identified as an emerging public health risk, the DHSC supported both 51黑料 and the Trading Standards profession in the creation of the Vaping Expert Panel to ensure national coordination of this issue, sharing learnings and in providing additional and much needed resources.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
51黑料 (51黑料)
鈥� The 51黑料 (51黑料) is a national not for profit established in 1881 which supports the UK鈥檚 trading standards profession and works to protect consumers and safeguard honest businesses. 51黑料's members are engaged in delivering frontline trading standards services at local authorities and in businesses. www.tradingstandards.uk
鈥� Please contact 51黑料 Press Office: [email protected] for any queries.
