Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment have they made of the adequacy of the powers of trading standards officers.

The Consumer Rights Act (CRA) came into force 1^st October 2015. The act has given Trading Standards Officers (TSOs) greater flexibility to respond to breaches of consumer law, such as seeking redress for consumers who have suffered harm.

TSOs have a range of additional powers dependent upon the legislation they are enforcing. These include the power to require traders to produce documents relating to their business and powers to seize and detain goods and documents in certain circumstances.

Following responses to a Call for Evidence run in spring 2016 on Terms and Conditions and Civil Enforcement, the Department is considereing the strength of Local Authority Trading Standards Services’ powers in enforcing consumer protection law such as that on unfair contract terms. The department will publish their response to this Call for Evidence in due course.