The Trading Standards Joint Advisory Board was scheduled to discuss the mid-year performance of the Trading Standards service, review upcoming legislative changes impacting consumer protection, and consider the implications of new and proposed laws. The meeting's agenda included updates on the service's achievements and challenges, as well as an overview of new parliamentary bills and legislation that Trading Standards will be responsible for enforcing.

Trading Standards Mid-Year Review Report 2024-25

A key item on the agenda was the Trading Standards Mid-Year Review Report 2024-25 . This report was intended to provide an update on the service's performance halfway through the financial year, highlighting significant achievements and any challenges encountered. The report detailed the number of service requests received, the investigations undertaken by both the Brent and Harrow teams, and the business advice and support provided. It also covered specific areas of work, including product safety, compliance checks on letting agents, operations targeting illicit tobacco (Op CeCe), and enforcement regarding age-restricted product sales. The report also outlined court results from concluded cases and activities related to doorstep crime and scams. A table was included to show projected work volumes against achievements to date for both the Brent and Harrow teams.

Consumer Bills and New Law Report

The Board was also scheduled to receive an update on current Parliamentary Bills and new legislation that will fall under the purview of Trading Standards. This report, titled Consumer Bills and New Law Report , was to inform members of upcoming changes that will affect consumers, businesses, and the operational duties of the Trading Standards service.

The report was expected to cover several key legislative proposals:

• Product Safety and Metrology Bill: This Bill, introduced in September 2024, aims to maintain the UK's leadership in product regulation by updating safety and environmental standards and consumer information. It will address issues such as the measurement of goods, online marketplace sales, and fire risks associated with e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries. The Bill is anticipated to be enacted in Spring 2025, with secondary legislation following by Summer 2025. It will provide local authorities with enhanced powers to investigate and act against businesses selling unsafe or mislabelled products.
• Renters’ Rights Bill: Introduced in the House of Commons on 11 September 2024, this Bill seeks to abolish Section 21 ‘no fault evictions’ and strengthen tenant protections. It includes new rights for tenants to challenge rent increases and request to keep pets. The Bill will also apply a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector and bolster local authorities’ enforcement powers against unscrupulous landlords. Landlords will be required to join a new Ombudsman service, and agents advertising properties where the landlord is not registered could face significant penalties.
• Tobacco and Vapes Bill: Announced in the 2024 King’s Speech, this Bill aims to restrict the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children and prevent individuals born after 1 January 2009 from ever being sold tobacco cigarettes, creating a ‘smokefree generation’. The report noted that the Bill had not yet been published at the time of writing, but a previous iteration had been discussed by the Board on 6 June 2024.
• Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024: This Act, which came into force earlier in 2024, significantly strengthens consumer protection law and the enforcement process. It largely reinstates and amends the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, with changes to reflect online interactions and introduce new banned practices, including those related to fake reviews and drip pricing. The Act also introduces new rules for subscription contracts and grants Trading Standards officers powers to apply for Online Interface Orders against traders who mislead consumers online.

The report indicated that there would be staff training costs associated with this new legislation, with some training expected to be provided by the government at no cost. The legal implications include new powers for Trading Standards officers, with local weights and measures authorities designated as enforcers and placed under a duty to enforce prohibitions on unfair commercial practices.