Asked by: Lord Udny-Lister (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of local authority funding reductions on the capacity of Trading Standards services to undertake proactive surveillance, routine inspections, and test purchasing over the past five years.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are independent from central government and are responsible for determining their resourcing priorities across a wide range of enforcement responsibilities in accordance with the needs of the local electorate.
The majority of Central Government funding is not ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities including those relating to consumer protection.
The Department for Business and Trade provides additional funding through the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS). These act as mechanisms to prioritise and coordinate national and regional consumer enforcement in England, Wales and Scotland respectively.
Asked by: Lord Udny-Lister (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to establish a national coordination body to align the priorities and funding contributions of Government departments and regulators that depend on Trading Standards services for enforcement and compliance activities.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are independent from central government and are responsible for determining their resourcing priorities across a wide range of enforcement responsibilities in accordance with the needs of the local electorate.
The majority of Central Government funding is not ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities including those relating to consumer protection.
The Department for Business and Trade provides additional funding through the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS). These act as mechanisms to prioritise and coordinate national and regional consumer enforcement in England, Wales and Scotland respectively.
Asked by: Lord Udny-Lister (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering establishing a consistent national framework for assessing the performance of Trading Standards services, including indicators on enforcement activity, consumer protection outcomes, and resourcing.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are independent from central government and are responsible for determining their resourcing priorities across a wide range of enforcement responsibilities in accordance with the needs of the local electorate.
The majority of Central Government funding is not ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities including those relating to consumer protection.
The Department for Business and Trade provides additional funding through the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS). These act as mechanisms to prioritise and coordinate national and regional consumer enforcement in England, Wales and Scotland respectively.
Asked by: Lord Udny-Lister (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the reduction in proactive surveillance, routine inspections, test purchases, and similar enforcement actions by Trading Standards services in the last five years; and what steps they are taking to support Trading Standards in fulfilling their regulatory and enforcement responsibilities.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are independent from central government and are responsible for determining their resourcing priorities across a wide range of enforcement responsibilities in accordance with the needs of the local electorate.
The majority of Central Government funding is not ringfenced in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities including those relating to consumer protection.
The Department for Business and Trade provides additional funding through the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) and Trading Standards Scotland (TSS). These act as mechanisms to prioritise and coordinate national and regional consumer enforcement in England, Wales and Scotland respectively.
Asked by: Lord Udny-Lister (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate investment in Morocco as part of the 2030 International Federation of Association Football World Cup.
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson
The UK-Morocco Association Agreement, which entered into force in January 2021, facilitates our trading relationship. HM Government is keen to strengthen trade ties with Morocco. In January 2025, Ben Coleman MP was appointed Trade Envoy for Morocco and Francophone West Africa. Total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between the UK and Morocco was £4.2 billion in 2024, up £0.6bn in current prices from 2023.
In March 2025, Gareth Thomas MP, Minister of State for Services, Small Business and Exports, visited Morocco with a delegation of businesses to showcase UK support for major infrastructure projects and signed a declaration of intent with the Head of the World Cup Committee to progress UK-Morocco collaboration on Morocco’s co-hosting of the Men’s Football World Cup in 2030. The UK looks forward to working with Morocco on this event and other infrastructure projects.
Asked by: Lord Udny-Lister (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of the United Kingdom's trading relationship with Morocco.
Answered by Baroness Gustafsson
The UK-Morocco Association Agreement, which entered into force in January 2021, facilitates our trading relationship. HM Government is keen to strengthen trade ties with Morocco. In January 2025, Ben Coleman MP was appointed Trade Envoy for Morocco and Francophone West Africa. Total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between the UK and Morocco was £4.2 billion in 2024, up £0.6bn in current prices from 2023.
In March 2025, Gareth Thomas MP, Minister of State for Services, Small Business and Exports, visited Morocco with a delegation of businesses to showcase UK support for major infrastructure projects and signed a declaration of intent with the Head of the World Cup Committee to progress UK-Morocco collaboration on Morocco’s co-hosting of the Men’s Football World Cup in 2030. The UK looks forward to working with Morocco on this event and other infrastructure projects.