| AdminHistory | It is now (2004) the Trading Standards Section of the Public Health & Environmental Protection Division
The aim of the section is 'to ensure high standards of public health, safety and consumer protection are achieved for those people who reside, visit and work in the city'. This is done by, amongst other things, enforcing and advising on a wide range of legislation covering every aspect of trading. The section is based in the Civic Centre, but staff spends a great deal of their time visiting traders and consumers. The section has a small staff of 5 full time Trading Standards Officers, one part time Trading Standards Officer, three enforcement staff, one technical assistant and one clerical support officer. The main areas of law covered are
· Consumer safety, this covers the safety of specific consumer goods, and a general duty to supply safe goods.
· Consumer Credit, this complex subject has a wide range of rules covering licensing of credit providers, advertising of credit and clarity of the whole process.
· Product description, the Trade Descriptions Act makes it illegal to misdescribe goods sold in the course of business.
· Weights and measures, we test trade equipment, visit packers and check retail packs of weight marked goods.
· Fair trading, a wide range of legislation aims to make the buying and selling of goods simpler and fairer.
· European law, Britain's membership of the European Union has meant the adoption of a number of new laws, some covering areas not previously dealt with by Trading Standards. For example medical devices and simple pressure vessels.
· Under age sales, there is growing concern that children and young people are getting access to unsuitable products, for example cigarettes, solvents, fireworks and alcohol.
· Prices, the law aims to make price indications clear and unambiguous. There are however no restrictions on the price traders can charge. |