British Standards are the standards produced by BSI Group

BSI Group

BSI Group, also known in its home market as the British Standards Institution , is a multinational business services provider whose principal activity is the production of standards and the supply of standards-related services.- History :...

which is incorporated under a Royal Charter

Royal Charter

A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...

 (and which is formally designated as the National Standards Body (NSB) for the UK). The BSI Group produces British Standards under the authority of the Charter, which lays down as one of the BSI's objectives to:
Formally, as per the 2002 Memorandum of Understanding between the BSI and the United Kingdom Government, British Standards are defined as:
Products and services which BSI certifies as having met the requirements of specific standards within designated schemes are awarded the Kitemark

Kitemark

The Kitemark is a UK product and service quality certification mark which is owned and operated by The British Standards Institution ....

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British Standards are one of the formal exceptions made to the Restrictive Trade Practices Act.