Trading Standards Institute And Essex County Council Sign Up To Primary Authority
The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) and Essex County Council have today (Tuesday 30 June) signed up to Primary Authority signalling the start of a new regulatory relationship.
The announcement took place at the TSI Conference where Ron Gainsford CEO Trading Standards Institute shook hands with County Councillor Tracey Chapman, Cabinet Member for Environment & Waste at Essex County Council.
Set up as a not for profit business representing Trading Standards professionals, TSI is a campaigning and policy organisation. It provides a first class service to its members, innovative solutions, qualifications and training products to local authorities across the UK and, on behalf of the European Commission, European call centre functions for Consumers. The partnership will now provide TSI with consistent regulatory advice from a single local authority within a statutory framework.
Ron Gainsford said:
"I applaud the fantastic work trading standards do in delivering existing home authority support. Primary authorities are a natural evolution of the home and lead authorities that already work very well, and have an invaluable role advising and supporting businesses.
"As part of our support for the primary authority scheme we now want to, as a not-for-profit business ourselves, walk the talk and lead by example. We already have a great relationship with Essex County Council as our home authority and we are very pleased to now formalise this voluntary arrangement into a legal relationship." County Councillor Tracey Chapman said:
"I am extremely proud that Essex County Council has become the Primary Authority for the TSI. Essex County Council is committed to supporting all businesses in Essex, providing them with the assistance and advice they require. We look forward to developing a close working relationship with the TSI, and I am sure they will really benefit from the expertise we can provide."
LBRO Chair Clive Grace said:
"It is welcome news that this Primary Authority partnership has been established between TSI and Essex County Council. This will further endorse the primary authority scheme as the way forward to encourage compliance and increase the consistency that business needs."
Primary Authority is available to all businesses, regardless of size, which operate across two or more council boundaries including small and medium-sized enterprises which trade over the internet.
It provides companies with reliable and robust regulatory advice from a single source - the Primary Authority - when dealing with key aspects of environmental health, trading standards and licensing services. Government estimates suggest the scheme could eventually save business up to £50 million a year.
For businesses a primary authority partnership will mean consistency of local inspection and enforcement activity. Currently businesses can run the risk of prosecution even if they follow official advice if local inspectors disagree about how to interpret regulations. This lack of consistency can also result in discrepancies in protection for consumers, workers and the environment.
For local authorities primary authority will provide the opportunity to influence compliance nationally via the primary authority giving advice to its partner business as well as giving advice to the regulatory community at large about their business, to help focus inspection activity to where it's most needed.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Primary Authority scheme was designed by the Better Regulation Executive and approved by Parliament as part of the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008. Primary Authority came into law on 6 April 2009.
2. Primary Authority partnerships are available to any business that trades across two or more council boundaries, regardless of size. Small businesses that sell from websites, for example, have the same access to consistent advice about trading standards and health and safety rules as big manufacturing or construction companies. The scheme will improve compliance to the benefit of business, consumers and communities.
3. The Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) helps local authorities improve their environmental health, trading standards, fire safety and licensing services - reducing burdens on businesses that comply with the law while targeting those who flout it. It was incorporated as a government-owned limited company in May 2007. Following the commencement of the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 on 1 October 2008, it now operates as an executive non-departmental public body, accountable to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills through the Better Regulation Executive. LBRO is governed by an independent Board, has a staff of around 25 and is based in central Birmingham. It has a remit that covers the whole of the UK, and works closely with the devolved administrations to ensure our work in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For further information about LBRO please visit www.lbro.org.uk
LBRO media enquiries to Nicky Sammons on 0121 226 4028, email: nicola.sammons@lbro.org.uk