The Trading Standards Joint Advisory Board was scheduled to discuss the proposed fees and charges for the Brent & Harrow Trading Standards Service for the upcoming financial year, as well as the service's work plan for 2024-25. The meeting also included a review of the previous meeting's minutes and an update on future meeting dates.

Trading Standards Fees and Charges 2024-25

The board was set to consider the proposed fees and charges for the Brent & Harrow Trading Standards Service for the 2024-25 financial year. These fees fall into several categories: statutory fees set by legislation, RPI-linked fees, and discretionary fees.

Specific areas covered included:

• Explosive Licence Fees: Fees for processing explosive (firework) licences, which are set by the Health and Safety Executive. These range from £56 for a short-term licence renewal to £670 for an all-year-round licence.
• Letting and/or Property Management Penalty Fees: Monetary penalties that can be imposed under the Redress Schemes for Lettings Agency Work and Property Management Work (England) Order 2014 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015, with potential penalties up to £5,000. Under the Tenant's Fees Act 2019 and Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents (England) Regulations 2019, penalties can reach up to £30,000. The proposed penalties for first offences range from £1,000 to £5,000, with subsequent offences potentially incurring penalties of £5,000 to £30,000.
• Primary Authority Fees: Fees for primary authority partnerships, which are adjusted annually based on the Retail Price Index (RPI). The proposed hourly rates for 2024/25 were set at £75.00 for fixed contracts and £93.00 for pay-as-you-go services, representing an increase from the previous year.
• Weights and Measures Fees: Fees for services such as the verification of weights and measures equipment and calibration of weights for businesses. Proposed hourly rates for 2024/25, excluding VAT, were £77 for verification and calibration, and £77 for testing for other local authorities.
• Registration of Premises for Auction Fee: A fee for registering a premises to host an auction, which is intended to cover administration and inspection costs. The proposed increase would see this fee rise from £360 to £395.
• Fee for Officers Carrying Out Duties at Wembley Events: A charge for officers conducting duties at Wembley events, with rates set at £66 per hour for Enforcement Officers and £85 for Senior/Supervisory Staff.
• Financial Investigator's Fee: An hourly fee for financial investigators offering services to other local authorities, proposed to increase from £42 to £45 to remain competitive.

The report noted that the income budget for fees and charges had seen an increase for 2023/24, reflecting a return to more normal levels of activity.

Trading Standards Work Plan 2024-25

The board was also scheduled to review the proposed work plan for the Brent & Harrow Trading Standards Service for the 2024-25 financial year. This plan outlines the activities and priority areas for the service, serving as a guide for performance monitoring.

The priorities for the work plan are influenced by national and regional assessments, including those from the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and London Trading Standards (LTS). Key priority areas identified include:

• High Priority: Most Complained About Businesses (including Estate Agents/Letting Agents), Doorstep Crime and Scams, Counterfeit Goods, Unsafe Goods, Underage Sales (nicotine inhaling products, knives, alcohol, tobacco, fireworks), Primary Authority Partnerships, Energy-related fraud, Illicit Tobacco Products and nicotine inhaling products, Second-hand car dealers, and Cost of living issues (Weights and Measures, Prices and Promotions).
• Medium Priority: Misleading Descriptions, Incorrectly Labelled Goods, Consumer Credit/illegal lending, Counterfeiting and Copyright, Online Terms and Conditions, Energy Labelling, Unsafe Goods (Retail Level), Hallmarking, Package travel holiday complaints, and Storage of Fireworks.
• Low Priority: Single use carrier bag charges, Restrictive Notices, Misleading Descriptions (low value goods), Underage Sales (lottery, spray paints, games, butane), Mock Auctions, Essential Packaging, Market Sales, and Provision of Advice re Credit Card Charges.

The work plan also details projected work volumes for both the Brent and Harrow teams, based on their respective enforcement staff numbers. These volumes cover a range of activities, from completed complaints and trader inspections to underage test purchases and prosecutions. The plan acknowledges that the nature of Trading Standards' duties is variable and that these figures are subject to change, with work volumes being kept under continuous review.

The report highlighted that the work plan is drafted to be achievable within the allocated budget for 2024/25, with adjustments to be made if the budget changes. It also noted that staff vacancies within the service could impact income generation and the ability to deliver the planned work.

Previous Meeting Minutes and Future Dates

The board was also scheduled to approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 1 November 2023. Additionally, a schedule of future meetings for the 2024-25 Municipal Year was to be noted, with meetings planned for 6 June 2024 (hosted by Harrow), 6 November 2024 (hosted by Brent), and 19 March 2025 (hosted by Harrow).