Recommendation 21

Local authority Trading Standards services have experienced significant resourcing challenges, including a 39% real-terms reduction in funding in the past 10 years. The OPSS told us that services’ funding varies enormously throughout the UK, as some Trading Standards are very well resourced to tackle product safety risks while others do not have the funding to deal with the most minor product safety issue.38 The OPSS advocated to us the important role played by local Trading Standards services within the regulatory system, particularly with respect to frontline enforcement of product safety regulations. In particular, the OPSS commented on the strengths of Trading Standards services as being part of local communities, which provides useful knowledge and insight of local businesses when investigating different product safety risks and threats in a local area.39 A vision for the future of UK product safety regulation