The Trading Standards Joint Advisory Board met on Wednesday 20 March 2024 to discuss the proposed fees and charges for the upcoming financial year and to review the service's work plan for 2024-25. The Board endorsed the proposed fees and charges and noted the work plan, which outlines priority areas including illicit tobacco, vape products, and underage sales.

Joint Advisory Board Report on Fees and Charges 2024-25

The Board received a report detailing the proposed fees and charges for the Brent & Harrow Trading Standards Service for the 2024/25 financial year. Anu Prashar, Senior Regulatory Service Manager at Brent Council, presented the report, which outlined that fees fall into three categories: statutory fees set by legislation, Retail Price Index (RPI) linked fees, and discretionary fees. The Board was informed that statutory fees are set nationally, with limited local discretion. Proposed charges for various services, including Primary Authority fees, Weights & Measures fees, and Financial Investigator fees, were discussed. The Board thanked Anu Prashar for her report and resolved to note and endorse the Joint Advisory Board Report on Fees and Charges for 2024-25.

Trading Standards Work Plan 2024-25

Anu Prashar also presented the proposed work plan for Brent & Harrow Trading Standards for 2024/25. The plan aims to set out priority areas for the year, guide performance expectations, and offer flexibility to respond to emerging threats and investigations. The work plan incorporates priorities identified by the National Trading Standards Board and London Trading Standards, as well as reflecting the corporate priorities of both Brent and Harrow Councils.

Key high-priority areas for 2024-25 include tackling illicit tobacco and vape products, and addressing underage sales. The plan also continues to focus on activities related to the cost of living crisis, such as testing weighing scales and monitoring prices and promotions to prevent consumers from being misled. Medium and lower priority areas, along with projected work volumes across the service, were also outlined, with a commitment to ongoing review to ensure effective implementation.

During the discussion, clarification was sought regarding the National Trading Standards Board's priority on animal feed. Anu Prashar explained that this work focuses on preventing contamination through regular site visits to ensure appropriate controls and procedures are in place, covering both supermarkets and farms. The Board also inquired about the inclusion of pet food, with Anu Prashar confirming that analysing pet food could be a subsequent stage, involving sample testing and ensuring statutory declarations align with labels.

Members also sought further details on how harm is considered when identifying priorities and how these are agreed between the two boroughs. It was clarified that harm, alongside national and local priorities, is considered. The vulnerabilities of residents are taken into account, with signposting to partners like the Citizen's Advice Bureau. Criminal breaches are rated, with low-value breaches being signposted and high-value breaches investigated. Each case is assessed individually, with ongoing work to better capture harm and reflect it in the priorities and monitoring of the work plan. Priorities are also subject to regular discussion between lead officers from both authorities.

Members expressed a continued interest in monitoring specific trends in service activity to help focus priorities, requesting comparisons between current and previous year work volumes. The support provided by Trading Standards teams through advice, guidance, and ward visits was welcomed. Details of the Friends Against Scams awareness training, recently provided to Brent councillors, were also shared, with an agreement to progress similar training for Harrow councillors.

The Chair thanked Anu Prashar for her report, commending the officers for their efforts. The Board resolved to endorse and note the update and Trading Standards Work Plan 2024-25.

Dates of Future Meetings

The dates for future meetings of the Advisory Board for the 2024-25 Municipal Year were noted:

• Thursday 6 June 2024 at 6:00 pm, hosted online by the London Borough of Harrow.
• Wednesday 6 November 2024 at 6:00 pm, hosted online by the London Borough of Brent.
• Wednesday 19 March 2025 at 6:00 pm, hosted online by the London Borough of Harrow.