Trading standards and consumer protection
Dear Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council,
I make the following request under FOIA. Please can you search your records for the following information.
In relation to your trading standards service, or equivalent which enforces statutory consumer protection duties;
1) Please provide the number of FTE staff who are competent by qualification and CPD to advise businesses and enforce the following consumer protection matters; Fair Trading, Product Safety, Intellectual Property, Food Standards & Labelling and Weights and Measures.
2) In addition to the staff members listed in point '1', please provide the number of FTE who work for your trading standards service who advise businesses and enforce consumer protection matters but do not possess the qualification and CPD listed in point 1.
3) Please provide the number of investigations carried out under the below listed legislation, regardless of the outcome;
Prices Act 1974, Estate Agents Act 1979 (and associated orders and regulations made under Section 30), Weights and Measures Act 1985 (and associated regulations made under Section 86), Video Recordings Act 1987, Consumer Protection Act 1987 (and associated safety Regulations made under Section 11), Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, Food Safety Act 1990 (under Section 14 and 15 only), Property Misdescriptions Act 1991, Trade Marks Act 1994, General Product Safety Regulations 2005, The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, The Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008, The Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc. Regulations 2008, The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, The Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013, The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
4) The number of prosecutions under the legislation listed in '3', and including under the Fraud Act 2006.
5) The number of consultations conducted under s.214 Enterprise Act 2002.
6) The number of undertakings issued under s.219 Enterprise Act 2002.
7) The number of enforcement orders obtained under s.217 Enterprise Act 2002.
8) The number of confiscation orders obtained by or on behalf of the Council under Part 2 of Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Please break down the information by calendar year, from 2010 to the most available figures at the present day.
Yours faithfully,
Rebecca Smith
Thank you for your email.
Your enquiry has been given the reference number 4073. Please quote this in all future correspondence with regard to this enquiry.
We aim to respond fully to all emails from the public as soon as possible, where they are seeking a response.
If you are requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act or environmental Information Regulations, there is a 20 working day statutory timescale within which to provide the information requested, subject to any exemptions which may apply. The 20 working day timescale will start on the first working day following receipt of your email.
If you have access to the Internet you may wish to see if your enquiry can be dealt with online at www.trafford.gov.uk. The council's website enables many forms to be completed and payments to be made online, as well as providing comprehensive information.
Thank you
Trafford Council
Hi Rebecca
Thanks for your request for information.
At Trafford Council, Food Standards & Labelling is undertaken by my colleagues in Environmental Health - Would you like me to ask for their input or are you happy for me to exclude Food Standards and Labelling from Q1?
Regards
John Owen
Trading Standards Team Leader
Trafford Council
Trafford Town Hall
Talbot Road
Stretford
M32 0TH
Tel 0161 912 3812
Trafford, a value for money Council delivering excellent services for our
customers. You can find out more about us by visiting www.trafford.gov.uk
From: Wright, Kathryn On Behalf Of Data Protection
Sent: 24 October 2016 11:20
To: Roe, Richard
Subject: FW: 4073 Freedom of Information request - Trading standards and consumer protection
I have sent Q 1 & 2 to HR but if you have the information please let me know. Thanks
Please see below request.
Could you please send the responses to [Trafford Council request email] by the deadline of 14/11/2016
Please only respond to the above Data Protection email.
Thanks
Data Protection
Dear John,
Thank you for your response.
I would appreciate the input from your Environmental Health colleagues for the Food Standards and Labelling request. If it makes things easier internally, I'm happy to receive the response from them separately.
Yours sincerely,
Rebecca Smith
Dear Ms Smith
Thank you for your email of 24 October (below), where you requested
information about Trading Standards staff and investigations.
The information you requested is in the following table. A separate
response from Environmental Health (in relation to Food Labelling) is
attached as requested.
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Q1 All Qualified Staff 9.0 9.0/8.0 8.0 8.0/5.9 5.9/5.6 5.6/5.4 5.4
Including Q1A
Q1A Weights & Measures 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.9/3.6 3.6/3.4 3.4
Qualified Staff
Q2 Other Staff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Q3 Investigations 721 649 590 500 631 653 528
Q4 Prosecutions 1 1 2 1 0 0 2
Q5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Consultations
Q6 Undertakings 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Q7 Enforcement Orders 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Q8 POCA Orders 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
If you have any questions about the information, please contact John Owen
by email ([1][email address] ) or telephone 0161 912 1377.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
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original letter and should be addressed to: Information Governance
Manager, Trafford Council, Town Hall, Talbot Road StretfordM33 0TH or via
email to [2][Trafford Council request email]
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
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5AF
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Warm regards,
Joanne Harrison
Interim PA to Richard Roe
Director of Growth and Regulatory Services Economic Growth, Environment
and Infrastructure
Trafford Council
Trafford Town Hall
Talbot Road
Stretford
M32 0TH
Email: [5][email address]
Trafford Council is a well-performing, low-cost council delivering
excellent services to make Trafford a great place to live, learn, work and
relax.
You can find out more about us by visiting [6]www.trafford.gov.uk
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