Agenda and minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, Brent Town Hall, Forty Lane, Wembley, HA9 9HD. View directions
Contact: Joe Kwateng, Democratic Services Officer (020) 8937 1354 Email: joe.kwateng@brent.gov.uk
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Election of Chair Minutes: RESOLVED:-
That Councillor Lesley Jones (Brent) be elected as the chair for the meeting. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting PDF 85 KB Minutes: RESOLVED:-
That the minutes of the last meeting held on 22 March 2010 be agreed as an accurate record. |
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Matters arising Minutes: None. |
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Annual report of the Head of Trading Standards for the year 2009/2010 PDF 50 KB This report details the work of the Trading Standards Consortium during the financial year 2009/2010. Additional documents: Minutes: The Board received an annual report from the Head of Trading Standards that detailed the work of Brent and Harrow Trading Standards Service (the consortium) for the financial year 2009/2010. In giving an overview of the work undertaken by the consortium, the Head of Trading Standards, Nagendar Bilon highlighted the variety of ways in which the consortium carried out its work. These included informing residents of their rights when dealing with businesses; ensuring that businesses traded legally; enforcing fair and safe trading environment; ensuring an efficient, effective and improved trading standards.
Nagendar Bilon drew members’ attention to the consortium’s achievements over the year which were quite detailed in the report and covered amongst others performance, doorstep crime, underage sales, fight against fakes and on-line traders. He also outlined the pressures facing the consortium in the present economic climate characterised by the recession, the rising trend of illegal traders and counterfeiter and the vulnerability of the general public when times were difficult. The above pressures placed extra demands on the consortium’s services at a time when it was facing budgetary and resource pressures.
In welcoming the annual report members praised the consortium’s officers for the services.
RESOLVED:
That the annual report for the year 2009/2010 be noted. |
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Update on the provisions of Section 75 of the London Local Authorities Act 2007 PDF 64 KB This report provides Members with information on Sectrion 75 of the London Local Authorities Act 2007, with respect to the setting up of a registration scheme in the Consortium area for all mail forwarding businesses. Minutes: The Board received a report that recommended to both Brent and Harrow to adopt the new provisions under Section 75 of the 2007 Act and that the functions be treated as non executive functions by delegating the exercise of these functions to the appropriate Officers within the respective Councils. The adoption of the provisions and their implementation would require all current and future mail forwarding business to be registered with their respective Council, keep records of persons using mail forwarding and holding services, and to keep those records open to inspection by authorised officers. The Act creates offences and makes provision for enforcement of Section 75 using powers under Section 28 of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968
If adopted, the scheme would be a tool that enforcers can use to prevent and detect various crimes and fraudulent practices particularly in the run up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, thus saving them time and resources to concentrate on other aspects of their duties. The one-off fee charged per application of £80, in line with other London Councils, would enable the Local Authorities to offset the administrative and enforcement costs.
RESOLVED:-
(i) That That the Board approves the submission of a report by the Head of Trading Standards to the Executive of each Council to adopt the provisions under Section 75 of the London Local Authorities Act 2007.
(ii) That the Board members recommend to their respective Executives that they adopt the above provisions under Section 75 and to treat the relevant functions as non-executive for the purposes of the Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) Regulations 2000 by delegating the exercise of these functions to the appropriate Officers within the respective Councils.
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Any other urgent business Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Democratic Services manager (London Borough of Brent) or his representative before the meeting, in accordance with the constitutions of both Councils. Minutes: None. |
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Date of next meeting The next scheduled meeting of the Trading Standards Joint Advisory Board will be held on 9 December 2010 at Harrow Civic Centre. Minutes: RESOLVED:-
To note that the next meeting of the Trading Standards Joint Advisory Board would be held on Thursday 9 December 2010 at Harrow Civic Centre. |