TSI Manifesto 2010

advice is important to business. This is available through Home Authorities and a growing number of businesses are now buying into the Primary Authority scheme. Getting it right first time stops wastage, encourages stability and gives business more confidence to grow and invest. Getting it wrong can have financial consequences for business but can also have health and safety consequences for UK consumers.

4.Transparent decision making based on clear codes of practice and published enforcement policies establishes trust between business and trading standards. Adequately resourced trading standards inhibits rogue trader activity. Schemes such as Local Authority Approved Trader Schemes facilitate this and reinforce consumer choice and empowerment. Such schemes should be accessible through a single source and an identifiable brand under which local/central schemes could be harboured, preventing the opportunity for rogue traders to compete in the market. With the right kind of information available through such schemes and raised awareness of the high standards that have to be met in the marketplace, consumers can make well- informed buying decisions. Business understands the benefit of participating in trading standards approved schemes. Education and training

programmes are available that are proportionate to the needs of a company and its staff. The TSI Fair Trading Award provides guidance on compliance and consumer rights and the approved schemes deliver a fairer and more competitive environment in which trade can be carried out. The internet will play a major

role in the rebuilding of the economy with the growth of new, and expansion of established, business. Trading standards are involved in protecting business online and dealing with ecrime so that international online trade can be increased. The online environment must generate confidence. For this to materialise, business practice online has to be monitored, scams must be identified and eliminated, and protections such as online age verification put in place. Adequately resourced trading standards will develop sustainable online enforcement that can handle the threats and demands of a new market which is fundamental to consumer and business protection and renewed prosperity.

The safer the consumer feels when shopping online, the more purchases they will make over the internet. In 2009 there was the potential for 60 per cent more cross border online transactions to be completed6.

The consumer element plays a big part in economic recovery;

Trading standards contribute to the protection of consumers against unfair credit products through the enforcement of credit legislation, which could save consumers up to £41million a year7.

accordingly consumer confidence must be boosted in parallel with business confidence and financial capability increased. Trading standards’ involvement in financial services includes the enforcement of credit legislation and action on behalf of vulnerable consumers who are unable to access adequate and safe lending. Trading standards recognise the consumer detriment from borrowing under Bills of Sale legislation and is calling for a change in the law.

20.6% of the adult population aged 18 to 65 currently cannot access mainstream lending8. It is these excluded consumers who often have no choice but to go to loan sharks and pursue other means of borrowing. Loan Shark teams run by trading standards work closely with the police and are successful in tackling illegal money lending that often results in financial ruin and serious harm to the most vulnerable in society.

The nationwide Stop Loan Sharks project has helped more than 11,500 people, has written off more than £31million of illegal debt and is pursuing £10million in criminal assets through the courts9.

6 European Commission, Cross-Border Business to Consumer e-Commerce in the EU, 2009. 7 Local Better Regulation Office, Impacts and Outcomes of Local Authority Regulatory Services Report, 2009. 8 Datamonitor.

9

Stop Loan Sharks project cumulative figures to date, March 2010. Stop Loan Sharks is the umbrella name for the illegal money lending teams and covers England, Scotland and Wales.

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