Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to increase funding for Trading Standards officers.

For 2024/25, the Local Government Finance Settlement made available £64.7 billion. The majority of this funding is unringfenced for local authorities to use as they wish, including funding for Trading Standards officers.

Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement in which we are engaged. The department will work with local government leaders to ensure they are better able to fulfil their statutory duties.