The Trading Standards Joint Advisory Board of Brent Council was scheduled to discuss the annual report for the 2025-26 financial year and consider a report on funding for a new apprentice position focused on tobacco and vapes enforcement. The meeting also included a review of future meeting dates.

Trading Standards Annual Report 2025-26

The board was scheduled to receive the Trading Standards Annual Report for 2025-26. This report details the work undertaken by the joint service between the London Borough of Brent and the London Borough of Harrow. The service's remit includes enforcing legislation related to weights and measures, aiming to promote a fair trading environment for consumers and businesses. The report was expected to cover various areas of work, including product safety, tackling illicit and counterfeit goods, age-restricted sales, rogue traders, scams, business compliance, and intelligence-led enforcement. It was also anticipated to highlight the service's financial performance, legal, equality, and human resources implications, and consultation activities. The report indicated that the service operated within its agreed net budget for the year and that there were no specific equality or human resources implications arising from its activities.

The annual report detailed that in 2025/26, the Trading Standards team comprised 3.5 Enforcement Officers in Brent and 2.5 in Harrow, supported by two Financial Investigators. The service responded to 4,355 service requests, with 384 investigations progressing in Brent and 228 in Harrow. Key areas of activity included product safety, where officers worked to remove unsafe products from sale and arrange recalls. The report highlighted enforcement actions against illicit tobacco, with over 68,300 cigarette sticks and significant quantities of other tobacco products seized. Letting agents were also subject to compliance work, with monetary penalties issued for non-compliance. The service also focused on protecting vulnerable residents from doorstep crime and scams, and on preventing underage sales of age-restricted products, with 90.48% of businesses refusing sales to child volunteers during test purchasing operations. The report also noted the support provided to legitimate businesses through advice and compliance inspections, and highlighted partnership working at Wembley Stadium events and Harrow's 'Week of Action' initiatives. The Financial Investigators secured confiscation orders totalling £1,726,548.50.

Apprentice 2026 Report

A report was scheduled to inform members about Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funding available for the recruitment of a Tobacco and Vapes Apprentice. This role is intended to bolster local enforcement, education, and prevention activities related to tobacco use and youth vaping, in light of the evolving regulatory landscape and the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. The Act aims to create a smoke-free generation by progressively raising the age of sale for tobacco products and introducing stronger controls on vaping products to prevent them from being marketed to children. The funding, part of a £10 million national initiative, is intended to increase local inspection and compliance activity, support the seizure of illicit products, and strengthen action against underage sales. The apprentice would be embedded within Trading Standards functions, assisting with test purchasing, retailer inspections, identifying illicit products, gathering intelligence, and collaborating with various agencies. The apprenticeship is a Level 6 course, funded by the DHSC and delivered over 29 months, with the aim of developing a qualified Trading Standards Officer and addressing a national shortage of experienced officers. The funding is expected to cover the apprentice's salary, on-costs, and equipment until 2028/29.

Date of Future Meetings

Members were asked to note the schedule of future meetings agreed between Brent and Harrow for the 2026-27 Municipal Year. These were planned for Tuesday 3 November 2026, hosted online by the London Borough of Brent, and Thursday 4 March 2027, hosted online by the London Borough of Harrow.

The meeting was scheduled to be held as an online virtual meeting. The agenda also included standard procedural items such as the election of a Chair, apologies for absence, and declarations of interest. The minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 5 March 2026 were also scheduled for approval.