Agenda item

To receive a report providing members with an update on work being undertaken across the Trading Standards function to tackle the current cost of living crisis.

The Board received a report, presented by Anu Prashar (Senior Regulatory Service Manager, Brent Council) outlining the work being undertaken across the Trading Standards service on tackling the current cost-of-living crisis.

In considering the report the Joint Advisory Board noted:

·             The work being undertaken by the Trading Standards Service to promote and maintain a fair and equitable trading environment for consumers and businesses alike, in order to support consumer confidence and ensure business could trade confidently.  These duties extended to all business types including those trading online, on local high streets, commercial business parks, trading estates, those who traded from home and door to door.

·             The level of advice and support being provided for businesses as part of their recovery from the pandemic in order to ensure a level playing field, especially for smaller sized traders, particularly in terms of the increasing pressures on resources as a result of the cost-of-living crisis and the need to ensure this did not lead to unfair or non-compliant anti-competitive practices.

·             The key role of the service in protecting people, especially the most vulnerable, during a cost-of-living/energy/ inflation crisis, especially in relation to any unfair practices arising from misleading prices, misdescriptions, short measures, substandard services, fraud or scams etc.  Measures were also being taken to monitor potential issues experienced as a result of the proliferation of illicit goods (unsafe imports, illicit tobacco, counterfeits) and increase in scams in areas, such as short measure fuel, food and “energy efficiency” claims, with Members noting there had been a high level of counterfeit products found.

·             The report also highlighted how complaints regarding weight and measures were investigated and inspections undertaken in order to test for accuracy.

·             The intelligence led nature of the service continued to bring benefits, especially in tackling the increase in illicit goods including tobacco and other counterfeit items being sold.  The had been a rise in the number of counterfeit products seized and concerns relating to age restricted products were highlighted as specific examples, with reference made to the measures in place to monitor and target traders and seize their illicit goods.  The current cost-of-living crisis was expected to see a rise in counterfeit tobacco, alcohol and other products with concern also expressed about the non-compliance of age restricted products which would continue to be closely monitored.

·             The work being undertaken in relation to product safety to ensure products manufactured, imported and sold were safe regardless of their cost.  This included market surveillance, using intelligence to monitor and ensure safety, especially of essential and high demand goods and work with the Office of Standards and Safety (OPSS) and the Ports Authorities to ensure safe products were supplied across each Borough.  Appropriate enforcement action would also be taken against those not complying with the law.

·             The work being undertaken to assist businesses and ensure they were not being put at a disadvantage for trading unfairly.  This included tackling fraudulent and non-compliant businesses, the provision of high quality business advice, and publicising actions taken against non-compliant businesses and traders.

·             The work being undertaken to support consumers in making informed choices to enhance confidence in green markets.  This included work to support improvements in the energy efficiency of rented accommodation, to improve the services understanding of green retro-fit issues to tackle mis-selling and addressing greenwashing and green scams, with Neighbourhood Watch being used to assist in warning residents of neighbourhood issues.

·             The work being undertaken across the service to keep residents safe from financial loss and prevent harm of their wellbeing in recognising the increase in vulnerability of consumers.  This included action to raise general awareness of scams, among consumer and businesses, especially those related to cost-of-living such as offers of help towards energy bills, council tax refund scams, pension pot scams, green homes grants and home insulation scams.  In addition, the service was signposting vulnerable people to experts in the Customer Contact Centre for advice and guidance on welfare and financial support whilst also providing enhanced support to vulnerable persons to help them exercise their consumer rights and not be further disadvantaged by attempts to defraud, with specific wok targeted around loan-sharks working with the national illegal moneylending team.

The Joint Board was advised that the Service had fed into both Brent and Harrow’s cost-of-living strategies and where necessary would continue to update its approach to priorities in order to ensure businesses and consumers were offered as much support as possible in relation to the issues and increasing challenges identified.

The following issues were then raised by Members of the Board in response to the update provided:

·             Further details were sought on whether fruit stalls were checked in regard to weights and measures and it was reported that they were.

·             In regard to car washes, it was confirmed that if operating illegally the owners would be issued with Planning Enforcement Notices, and enforcement action would be taken in relation to any illegal structures or unauthorised use of energy supplies and proceeds of crime.  In addition, Members were advised of the work being undertaken by energy companies to address the unauthorised or illegal use of energy supplies.

·             Concerns were identified in relation to the challenge involved in encouraging the victims of crime to come forward, particularly due to the potential embarrassment of being scammed amongst the elderly and vulnerable.  As a result, further details were sought on the action being taken to address the issues with the suggestion of the use of targeted campaigns to alert residents of scams and to raise awareness.  Whilst recognising the need to manage the approach within the limited resources available, Members were advised of the community engagement activity undertaken across the Service which included use of Neighbourhood Watch, Town Centre Managers, Neighbourhood Managers and local Council magazines to communicate such issues in order to raise awareness and maximise use of the limited resources available. 

·             Details were also provided of the ‘Friends Against Scams’ programme, which the Chair (as an advocate of) advised was a National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) initiative to prevent scammers passing on details of victims to other scammers.  The initiative provided an education programme, which the Chair felt it would be useful to offer to all councillors given their representational role and work undertaken in their local communities.  In response, Members were advised of the work being undertaken to support the scheme and National Trading Standards scam protocols, which the Service would continue to support and share with councillors and other local community groups as a valuable source of information sharing.

·             Details were also sought on the action being taken to address concerns relating to the licensing and sale of paan.  In response Members were advised that no specific licence was required by traders to sell paan and the issue of spitting (which was illegal as a littering offence) on the footway addressed through each Council’s Environmental Enforcement arrangements. 

·             Further details were sought on any trends identified in relation to particular scams or trading issues specifically linked or targeting consumers as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.  Members were advised that national trends had identified a potential increase in issues relating to energy efficiency schemes with business behaviour also subject to ongoing monitoring in relation to the sale of illegal products, such as tobacco and the necessary action continuing to be taken in response.

In welcoming the report and update provided the Joint Board thanked officers for the information provided and RESOLVED to note and endorse the Brent and Harrow Trading Standards response to the Cost-of-Livingcrisisand priority areas identified as detailed within the report.