Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to ensure that market surveillance authorities are adequately resourced to manage new requirements for online marketplaces.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill will provide Government with enabling powers to introduce new requirements on online marketplaces. The Office for Product Safety and Standards and local authorities already carry out a range of regulatory actions to reduce the risk of unsafe products being sold online.

Government will consider any changes to resourcing requirements for OPSS within the Spending Review and departmental business planning processes. Local authority budgets are set by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and allocated by local authorities according to their priorities.