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.

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.

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.

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.

Submit Evidence (by 9 Jan 2026)

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