The Trading Standards Institute is the professional association which represents trading standards professionals in the UK and overseas.

History

The Institute of Trading Standards Administration (ITSA) was based at Backford Hall

Backford Hall

Backford Hall is a house in the village of Backford, Cheshire, England. It was built in 1863 on the site of earlier halls, and was designed by John Cunningham. Its style is described as "exuberant Elizabethan, Jacobean and Bohemian Rococo". The authors of the Buildings of England series describe...

 at Backford

Backford

Backford is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated between Chester and Ellesmere Port on the A41 trunk road, to the north of the Shropshire Union Canal....

, north of Chester, now in Cheshire West and Chester

Cheshire West and Chester

Cheshire West and Chester is a unitary authority area with borough status, in the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It was established in April 2009 as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, by virtue of an order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health...

. This site was headquarters of Trading Standards for Cheshire County Council, and now the Calibration Service of Cheshire West and Chester Trading Standards.

Hampton Report

The Hampton Report of 2005 has led to the creation of the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) (Previously the (CTSA) Consumer and Trading Standards Agency). LBRO will set standards on how Trading Standards and other business regulators carry out their work to minimise the impact on legitimate business. The Hampton Report also gives an enhanced role for the Office of Fair Trading

Office of Fair Trading

The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...

 (OFT). The OFT will set national priorities and coordinate performance management of local authority Trading Standards services.

Function

TSI performs an important and influencing role in engaging with, and making representations to, government, UK and EU Parliamentary institutions, and key stakeholders in the local government, community, business and consumer sectors, and other regulatory agencies. It aims to sustain and improve consumer protection, health and wellbeing, together with the reinforcement of fair markets, facilitating business competitiveness and success.

The Institute also host the UK ECC which provides consumer advice with regards to cross border disputes within the EU and also the UK ECCS

Goals

TSI has five broad corporate aims:

• To support TSI members and TS services so the trading standards profession can innovate, sustain outcomes and develop new practitioners.
• To develop innovative solutions through anticipating and responding to the changing needs of its members.
• To make an operating contribution through diversification so that its ambitions can be realised.
• To expand its influence and operations through International market surveillance solutions.
• To capture and share intelligence and information.

Structure

The headquarters are sited in the Southfields area of Laindon

Laindon

Laindon is a town in the west of the Basildon district of Essex, England.It is north of Laindon railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. South of the railway station and line is Langdon Hills. Laindon and Langdon Hills are part of the Basildon post town.Until its abolition in...

, directly south of the Dunton Technical Centre

Dunton Technical Centre

The Dunton Technical Centre is a major automotive research and development facility located in Dunton, Laindon, United Kingdom owned and operated by Ford Motor Company. It is the largest automotive technical centre in the United Kingdom and takes its name from nearby Dunton Wayletts...

 of Ford of Europe, off the B148.

Members

TSI members typically work in one of (approximately) 200 Trading Standards offices around the United Kingdom, provided by local authorities, except in Northern Ireland, where Trading Standards is provided by central government. Trading Standards work with consumers and businesses to maintain fair trading and safety of consumer goods.

Staff

The TSI Chair is Leon Livermore, who is Head of trading standards at Cambridgeshire County Council. Leon was elected in July 2011 and took over the role of Chairman from Peter Heafield, who has recently retired from Lincolnshire trading standards.

Branches

• East Midlands
• Greater London
• Midlands
• Northern
• Northern Ireland
• North West
• Scottish
• South Eastern
• South Eastern Midlands
• South West
• Southern
• Wales
• Yorkshire and the Humber

Consumer Direct

Trading Standards services work in partnership with Consumer Direct

Consumer Direct

Consumer Direct is a Government-funded call centre providing basic consumer advice in the United Kingdom. Information is also provided on their website ....

, a call centre based consumer advice service which has been available across the UK since April 2006. Consumer Direct (08454 040 506) provides a single contact point where simple enquiries may be dealt with directly and others referred to the relevant Trading Standards office.

External links

• Consumer Direct
• Trading Standards Central
• Summary of legislation controlling supply of goods and services in England and Wales
• Summary of legislation controlling supply of goods and services in Scotland
• Summary of legislation controlling supply of goods and services in Northern Ireland and Iraq
• LACORS Coordinating body for Trading Standards and related enforcement functions