The Director of Neighbourhood Services submitted a report providing members with an update regarding the work carried out by the Trading Standards Service and its performance in carrying out that work.

The Senior Manager for Trading Standards Operations introduced the report. She explained the functions of the service to the Committee, including its statutory and non-statutory functions. Specifically, it was an intelligence-led service, and worked in conjunction with partner agencies such as HMRC, Food Standards Agency, DEFRA, Office of Product Safety and Standards, Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.

They also worked in partnership with the central government agency, Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline Service (CABx). In the last year, the service had received 2,178 enquiries referred by CABx, which were reviewed by the Trading Standards Team Leader. Over 600 enquiries were then allocated to officers within the service for further investigation and/or intervention.

The service had carried out several multi-agency operations, mainly with partner agencies. Details of these operations were given to the committee and were contained within Appendix 1 of the report.

The Senior Manager explained that the main challenge facing the service was the recruitment and retention of staff. At present, they had two fully qualified members of staff, with three officers enrolled to undertake the statutory qualifications, and the service had had to undertake contractors.

Another challenge to the service was the increasing problem of vapes. The service was working with the community on the harm of these, as officers had been seizing a large number of non-compliant vapes. They hoped that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in Parliament would bring increased powers to the service.

Members raised the following questions:

·  Was the marketing of vapes to young people, including ‘fun’ flavours, causing a bigger challenge to the service

·  What where the timescales for the three officers to become fully qualified

·  Optimal staffing numbers

·  Requests for poverty statistics in relation to Project Evolve to be circulated amongst members

·  Work with schools on tackling vapes amongst children

·  The workload split between investigations and enforcement interventions and how this would look like if the service had more staff

The Chair asked the Senior Manager to talk through the summary of cases which had had legal proceedings instigated against them. The details were found within Appendix 1 of the report.

The Vice-Chair recommended that a request be passed on to the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee for additional assistance in supporting the service with their work in schools on tackling vapes.

Resolved – That the Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee noted and endorsed the content of the report.