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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding has been provided to Trading Standards (a) nationally and (b) by local authority in each of the last five years.

Local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales are responsible for funding Local Authority Trading Standards Services (LATSS). Local authorities are independent from central government and are responsible for determining their resourcing priorities in accordance with the needs of the local electorate. Local government expenditure is determined by the block grant to local authorities, with the remainder raised from local taxation. This funding is used to resource LATSS.

The Department established National Trading Standards (NTS) in England and Wales, to better enable local authorities to take coordinated action against consumer scams. Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) was created to provide a similar role in Scotland. The resources are supplementary and distinct from LATSS funding. Funding in each of the last five years is provided below.