The 2012 Olympics. A big thing for trading standards. Today I chaired a meeting of trading standards colleagues from the London councils and from local authorities outside of London who are hosting events.
Big concerns about the lack of resources to tackle the counterfeiters, ticket touts and other rogues who will look to hijack the Olympic Games opportunity to rip off consumers, UK and overseas visitors, and leave a bad taste in the mouths of those who will be here to enjoy the spectacle and the experience.
The good thing is that I can see the professionalism and resolve of trading standards practitioners kicking in. The bad thing is that they need much more real help from central and local government and from the Olympic authorities and business to be able to keep the Olympic parks and the hinterland fair and clean of consumer crime. I shall be writing to Ministers and others to press the case even at this late hour.
Showing posts with label local government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label local government. Show all posts
Monday, 28 February 2011
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Consumer landscape announcements
We welcome continuity of the limited funding to be cascaded to local government for national threats. Clearly a trading standards that is adequately and appropriately funded can step up to the plate to deliver its new found responsibility. At the same time, however, the capability and impact of local trading standards services and practitioners is going to be dependent upon councils adequately funding them. No easy task for councils regardless of the leap of faith shown by the Secretary of State.
The Institute is a long-standing but progressive organisation that seeks to support modern local government together with consumers and businesses. Our members are spread across the public and private sectors which positions us well to understand the demands on both.
Modern high street and internet driven markets need confident, informed consumers if they are to work well and if rogues are not to flourish. Trading standards is central to recovering and ultimately flourishing local, national and indeed web based global market place. Similarly to the economic and safe wellbeing of consumers. This is no time to do other than reinforce the capacity and capability of trading standards and both central and local government in our view must continue to work well together to ensure that happens.
We now must look to work even better with our colleagues in Citizens Advice, with councils and with those representing our key business and consumer interests to test the Secretary of State’s proposals, use the planned consultation exercise, and ensure what emerges works.
The Institute is a long-standing but progressive organisation that seeks to support modern local government together with consumers and businesses. Our members are spread across the public and private sectors which positions us well to understand the demands on both.
Modern high street and internet driven markets need confident, informed consumers if they are to work well and if rogues are not to flourish. Trading standards is central to recovering and ultimately flourishing local, national and indeed web based global market place. Similarly to the economic and safe wellbeing of consumers. This is no time to do other than reinforce the capacity and capability of trading standards and both central and local government in our view must continue to work well together to ensure that happens.
We now must look to work even better with our colleagues in Citizens Advice, with councils and with those representing our key business and consumer interests to test the Secretary of State’s proposals, use the planned consultation exercise, and ensure what emerges works.
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