Trading Standards news

Trading Standards news

On this page the primary aim is to update and make aware both businesses and consumers of new developments that impact on both these groups.

Tobacco and Vapes Bill  

The Government has introduced the new Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

It contains:

  • New powers to restrict vape flavours, packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops to protect children.
  • ‘On the spot’ fines to be introduced to clamp down on underage sales of tobacco and vaping products of £100
  • It will also no longer be legal to give free samples of vapes to under 18s.

Additionally, the government has committed to ban the sale and supply of disposable vapes from April 2025 under separate environmental legislation.

The full announcement can be found at  Smokefree generation one step closer as Bill introduced - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk

Draft legislation on disposable vapes 

Defra’s draft regulations for single-use vapes have now been published. The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024 draft SI - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Improving Consumer Transparency

The Government published their response to the ‘improving consumer transparency’ on 24 January. The key proposals from Government, having considered the responses, are below.

The Government proposes to make various amendments to the Price Marking Order and associated guidance to tackle the following:

Government will explore further options on how there can be better use of consistent measures for the unit pricing of products.

Introduce clear legibility criteria for instore price labels.

Define which types of promotional or loyalty scheme offers should be included within the scope of the Price Marking Order.

Make provision for the Deposit Return Scheme so the cost of the deposit is displayed separately on price labels (working with Defra and Scottish and Welsh Governments.

To access the full document go to Gov.uk
 

Metric Measures

The Government has confirmed it is not planning to change the rules on selling in imperial measures after EU Exit. They have now decided not to, after nearly 99% of respondents to an official consultation said they were happy with kilos and litres.

Kings Speech 7 November 2023

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

The Bill will: 

  1. Create the first smoke free generation so children born on or after 1 January 2009 (turning 14 this year or younger) will never be able to be legally sold cigarettes. This will mean effectively raising the age of sale by one year each year for this generation, to prevent them and future generations from ever taking up smoking in the first place – because there is no safe age to smoke. o further crack down on youth vaping. 
  2. The Government is looking at new regulations to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to children – while ensuring that vapes remain available for adult smokers to quit. We are consulting now on how to get this balance right, with proposals including: restricting the flavours and descriptions of vapes so they are no longer targeted at children; regulating point of sale displays so that vapes are kept out of sight of children; regulating vape packaging and product presentation, ensuring that neither are targeted to children and closing loopholes in the law which allow children to get free samples and buy non-nicotine vapes. To access the Government consultation which closes at 11.59pm on the 6 December 2023 go to Gov.uk
  3. Strengthen enforcement activity with new powers to fine, on the spot, rogue retailers who sell tobacco products or vapes to people underage. We will simultaneously crackdown on illegal online sales by enhancing online age verification to stop the sale of tobacco products and vapes to underage people online.

Government Announcement Stopping the start To create a Smokefree Generation.

On the 4 October 2023 the Prime Minister announced a new tobacco control plan. To see the full document go to Tobacco Plan. 

  1. To create the first smoke-free generation so children turning 14 or younger this year will never be able to be legally sold cigarettes. This will mean effectively raising the age of sale by one year each year for this generation (born on or after 1 January 2009) to prevent them and future generations from ever taking up smoking in the first place, as there is no safe age to smoke. This will implement the recommendation from the Khan review  last year. This has the potential to phase out smoking in young people almost completely as early as 2040. It could mean up to 1.7 million fewer people smoke by 2075 and has the potential to avoid up to 115,000 cases of strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other lung diseases. 
  2. To support people to quit smoking, by more than doubling the funding available (to around £138 million) for local stop smoking services to support a total of around 360,000 people a year to quit smoking. We will also be providing an additional £5 million this year and then £15 million a year thereafter to fund national tobacco marketing campaigns to explain the changes, the benefits of quitting and support available. This is in addition to previous interventions announced earlier this year, such as the national rollout of a ‘swap to stop’ scheme – supporting 1 million smokers to swap cigarettes for vapes and our announcement to provide evidence-based financial incentives scheme for all pregnant women who smoke by the end of 2024. 
  3. To curb the rise in youth vaping by consulting on measures to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to children – striking a balance with ensuring vapes are available for adults to help them quit smoking. Later this month, we will consult on: restricting the flavours and descriptions of vapes so that vape flavours are no longer targeted at children, but remain available for adult smokers; regulating point of sale displays in retail outlets so that vapes are kept out of sight from children and away from products that appeal to them, such as sweets; regulating vape packaging and product presentation, ensuring that neither the device nor its packaging is targeted to children; look at stopping the sale of disposable vapes, which are clearly linked to the rise in vaping in children and are incredibly harmful to the environment and; close loopholes in the law which allow children to get free samples and buy non-nicotine vapes. 
  4. To strengthen enforcement activity, through new funding (£30 million a year), new powers to fine rogue retailers on the spot who sell tobacco products or vapes to people underage, action to track down illicit tobacco and vaping products, and take further steps to enhance online age verification so that age of sale law is enforced across both online and face-to-face sales. 

E-Bikes and E-Scooters Fire Safety Advice

E-bikes and e-scooters are becoming increasingly popular. Most are powered by lithium-ion batteries which can be charged in the home. The use of these batteries in a wide range of household products is becoming increasingly common.

It is important when charging e-bikes and e-scooters, you do so safely to avoid a risk of a fire starting and putting your families and homes at risk.

With an increased use of e-bikes and e-scooters, comes a corresponding fire safety concern associated with their charging and storage. The use of these products is expected to continue to rise. Some fire services and fire investigators have seen a rise in e-bike and e-scooter battery fires.

Currently there is limited data relating to the number of fires, but London Fire Brigade reported 8 fires caused by e-bikes and e-scooters in 2019. This rose to twenty-four in 2020 and fifty-nine by December 2021.

On occasions batteries can fail catastrophically, they can ‘explode’ and/or lead to a rapidly developing fire. For media stories go to: BBC News and Sky News of the 27 July 2023 and the Chronicle of the 31 July 2023. 

For further information go to NFCC

Avian Flu

The risk of avian influenza for all poultry has reduced to low (meaning the event is rare but does occur) and the avian influenza prevention zones (AIPZ) for poultry and captive birds in EnglandWales and Scotland have been lifted from midday on 4 July 2023.

Whilst the risk level in kept birds has reduced, the risk in wild birds remains high and all bird keepers should continue to take steps to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading at all times and be vigilant for signs of disease.

All poultry gatherings, including at fairs, shows and markets, remain banned, due to a large number of flocks mixing together and the risk posed by any infections spreading across the country.

Additional mandatory restrictions apply in disease control zones in force surrounding infected premises where avian influenza has been confirmed in poultry or other captive birds. Check if you’re in a zone on the bird flu disease control zone map and follow the rules for that zone.

Keepers should familiarise themselves with the avian flu advice and report suspicion of disease to APHA on 03000 200 301.

Poultry includes for example chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, pigeon (bred for meat), partridge, quail, guinea fowl and pheasants.

Captive birds are any birds kept in captivity, other than poultry, and includes for example – pet birds, birds kept for shows, races, exhibitions, competitions, breeding or sale.

All bird keepers (whether you have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock) must keep a close watch on them for signs of disease and maintain good biosecurity at all times. If you have any concerns about the health of your birds, seek prompt advice from your vet.

You should register your poultry, even if only kept as pets, so we can contact you during an outbreak. This is a legal requirement if you have 50 or more birds. Poultry includes chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, pigeon (bred for meat), partridge, quail, guinea fowl and pheasants.

For further information go to Gov.uk

Competition and Markets Authority Report

On the 20 July 2023, the CMA published a report on pricing within retail premises. You can access the full report here:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unit-pricing

The focus of the review was primarily on the unit pricing practices of 11 nationwide supermarkets but it also considered the unit pricing practices of seven nationwide variety store retailers that sell general merchandise such as hardware, toys, furniture and seasonal goods alongside a relatively small selection of groceries.

The review found problems in the following areas:-

  • missing or incorrectly calculated unit pricing information
  • incorrect units of measurement
  • different unit metrics being used for the same type of product
  • retailers taking different approaches to displaying unit prices for products on promotion both in-store and online, with some retailers not displaying unit prices for discounted products at all;
  • examples of unit prices in-store, particularly among the variety stores, which we consider are difficult to read;
  • certain pages on some retailers’ websites not providing a unit price alongside a selling price until individual items were selected.

Many problems were similar to the issues identified in the 2015 Groceries super-complaint. At that time, the CMA made recommendations to the UK government to review and reform the Price Marking Order 2004 (PMO). Ambiguities in the PMO continue to be problematic. Compliance with the PMO was worse amongst some of the variety store retailers, compared to the supermarkets.

The CMA has written directly to certain supermarkets and variety store retailers to highlight specific non-compliance concerns and to tell them to take action to address the concerns that we have identified. CMA are ready to take enforcement action if they do not see improvements.

The CMA are also making recommendations to the UK government to reform the PMO and related legislation to improve unit pricing. Recommendations relate to the consistency, definitions and legibility requirements.

New Sanctions to Tackle Illegal Tobacco

From 20 July 2023, new sanctions come into force which will mean businesses and individuals selling illicit tobacco can receive a penalty of up to £10,000.

Trading Standards officers will now have the power to refer cases to HMRC for further investigation where businesses or individuals have been found to sell illicit tobacco. HMRC, where appropriate, will administer the penalties and ensure the appropriate sanction is applied and enforced. Depending on the severity of the breach, rule-breaking businesses could:

  • Receive a penalty of between £2,500 and £10,000 for the supply of products which contravene Tobacco Track & Trace (TT&T)
  • Have their tobacco products seized
  • Lose their license to buy tobacco for resale in the UK by having their Economic Operator ID withdrawn

The new powers build on the successful work of Operation CeCe, a joint initiative between HMRC and National Trading Standards to tackle the illicit tobacco trade, which has removed 27 million illicit cigarettes and 7,500kg of hand rolling tobacco from sale in its first two years.

Trade in illicit tobacco costs the exchequer over £2 billion in lost tax revenue each year. It also damages legitimate businesses, undermines public health and facilitates the supply of tobacco to young people.

Government's Fraud Strategy 

On the 3 May 2023 the Government announced its new Fraud Strategy which set out a plan to stop fraud at source and pursue those responsible wherever they are in the world, reducing fraud by 10% on 2019 levels by 2025.

To deliver a 10% cut in fraud on 2019 levels by December 2024, the government will:

  • establish a new national fraud squad with over 400 new posts and make fraud a priority for the police
  • deploy the UK intelligence community and lead a new global partnership to relentlessly pursue fraudsters wherever they are in the world
  • put more fraudsters behind bars through better investigation and prosecution processes for fraud and digital offences
  • ban SIM farms which are used by criminals to send thousands of scam texts at once
  • stop fraudsters from being able to send mass text messages by requiring mass texting services to be registered, subject to a rapid review
  • Replace Action Fraud with a state-of-the-art system for victims to report fraud and cyber crimes to the police
  • ban cold calls on financial products so fraudsters cannot dupe people into buying fake investments
  • stop people from hiding behind fake companies and create new powers to take down fraudulent websites
  • work with industry to make sure that intelligence is shared quickly with each other and law enforcement
  • change the law so that more victims of fraud will get their money back
  • overhaul and streamline fraud communications so that people know how to protect themselves from fraud and how to report it
  • make the tech sector put in place extra protections for their customers and introduce tough penalties for those who do not
  • shine a light on which platforms are the safest, making sure that companies are properly incentivised to combat fraud

Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

On the 25 April 2023 the Government announced the proposals as contained in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Bill which will promote growth in the UK economy by ensuring free and vigorous competition amongst businesses – both online and on the high street. It will also strengthen the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) powers to crack down on unfair practices.

The bill reinforces the key principles that underpin the CMA’s work, which are about helping people, businesses and the economy. The bill has 3 areas of focus:

  • Consumer protection: People need to be able to shop without fear of being ripped off and fair-dealing businesses should be able to compete without being disadvantaged by those who break the rules. The CMA has taken enforcement action against those who use unfair practices to dupe people into handing over their money – taking action on fake reviews, subscription traps and pressure selling. The new rules in this bill will allow the CMA to be even more effective. They will empower the CMA to decide when consumer law has been broken, rather than having to take each case to court. This will help ensure people are protected more quickly, and fair-dealing firms are not disadvantaged. The bill will also allow the CMA to fine businesses which do break the law up to 10% of their global turnover.
  • Digital markets: People and businesses benefit from vibrant, competitive digital markets which offer the latest products and services. The bill establishes a new, targeted regime built for the digital age, overseen by the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) in the CMA – that will use a proportionate approach to hold digital firms accountable for their actions – enabling all innovating businesses to compete fairly. It will set rules that will prevent firms with Strategic Market Status from using their size and power to limit digital innovation or market access – ensuring the UK remains a highly attractive place to invest and do business for all.
  • Competition: Bolstered investigative and enforcement powers will mean the CMA can conduct faster and more flexible competition investigations, which identify and stop unlawful anticompetitive conduct more quickly. Changes to the competition framework – including updated merger and fine thresholds – will make it easier for the CMA to take action against mergers which harm UK consumers and businesses. Such changes will allow the CMA to continue to protect and promote open and free markets, spurring companies to innovate and bring more products to market, providing more choice for customers and creating a strong foundation for economic growth.

EU Exit

Updated guidance on the changes can be found on Gov.uk   

Changes to toys and cosmetics legislation

The first statutory instrument amending the UK toys and cosmetics regulations has been laid before Parliament.  The Toys and Cosmetic Products (Restriction of Chemical Substances) Regulations 2022 make changes to the toy and cosmetic regulations annexes, either entailing an amendment to the permitted level or the prohibition of specific chemicals in toys and cosmetic products.  The changes in respect of CMRs in cosmetics and fragrance allergens in toys came into effect on 15 October, and changes in respect of chemicals assessed by the Scientific Advisory Group on Chemical Safety come into force on 15 December 2022.

You can find out further information by reading the Planned changes to toys and cosmetics regulations GOV.UK news article.

New Legislation

1. Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 On the 19 March, Government published an amendment to the Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988 which applies to England, Scotland and Wales. The amendment, has allowed for the sale of new quantities of prepacked still and sparkling wines. Go to Gov.uk.

2. The Environmental Protection (Plastic Plates etc. and Polystyrene Containers etc.) (England) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023 No.982) came into force on the 1 October 2023. 

These Regulations, which apply in relation to England, prohibit persons from supplying or offering to supply certain plastic or polystyrene items in the course of a business. Part 2 prohibits the supply of single-use plastic plates, trays or bowls, balloon sticks and cutlery. It also prohibits the supply of single-use polystyrene food or drink containers and cups.

For more information go to Gov.uk

3. The Product Safety and Metrology (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022 No.1393) 

Regulation 2 extends the period during which certain obligations are met by complying with EU obligations from 24 months to four years from IP completion day for a number of products as set out in Schedule 1.

Regulation 3 extends the period during which conformity markings can be placed on a label affixed to the product, or a document accompanying the product, rather than on the product itself, from 36 months to seven years from IP completion day for a number of products as set out in Schedule 2.

Regulation 4 extends the period during which information identifying an importer can be set out in a document accompanying the imported product from 24 months to seven years from IP completion day for a number of products as set out in Schedule 3.

Regulations 5 and 6, 8 to 14 and 15(2)(b) to 22 provide that where a manufacturer has taken action under EU conformity assessment procedures before 31st December 2024, that action will be treated as if taken under the conformity assessment procedures which apply in Great Britain. The provision includes conditions relating to the continued validity of certificates issued in respect of the EU conformity assessment procedures and a cut-off date of 31 December 2027, after which the provision will cease to have effect.

Regulation 7, in relation to cosmetics, extends the period during which the requirement to set out information identifying a responsible person in a document accompanying an imported cosmetic product is treated as met if the document provides information identifying an EU responsible person from 24 months to seven years from IP completion day.

4. The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2002 came into force on 30 June 2022 and is the first major piece of legislation to reform the leasehold system in a generation. It means new regulated leaseholders won’t face demands for ground rent and are entitled to refuse payment on any demand for any prohibited rent.

Generally, most residential long leases (over 21 years) of a single dwelling, which are not excepted leases, granted after 30 June 2022 will qualify for protections under the Act.

Ground rent is a property industry term given to a rent that is usually paid annually by leaseholders to their landlord on top of the property purchase price and service charges. There is no clear service provided by the landlords in return for the payment of ground rent and there is no obligation for landlords to charge a ground rent.

What changes does the Act introduce?
1. That if any ground rent is demanded as part of a new regulated lease, it cannot be for more than one peppercorn per year (zero financial value).
2. That a landlord cannot charge an administration fee for collecting a peppercorn rent.

5. The Toys and Cosmetic Products (Restriction of Chemical Substances) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022 No. 659) Regulations make changes to the toy and cosmetic regulations annexes, either entailing an amendment to the permitted level or the prohibition of specific chemicals in toys and cosmetic products.  

You can find out further information by reading the Planned changes to toys and cosmetics regulations GOV.UK news article.

6. The Food (Promotion and Placement (England) Regulations 2021 (SI 2021 No.1368)  were planned to come into force on the 1 October 2022. On the 14 May 2022 the Government announced that the full implementation of the regulations will be delayed in light of the unprecedented global economic situation and in order to give industry more time to prepare for the restrictions on advertising. This delay has now been extended by the Government until the 1 October 2025. 

  • Rules limiting the location of unhealthy foods in shops went ahead as planned.
  • Rules banning multibuy deals on foods and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) – including buy one get one free (BOGOF), ‘3 for 2’, and restrictions on free refills for soft drinks – will now be delayed until the 1 October 2025.
  • Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products – a key part of the government’s commitment to reduce obesity – came into force as planned. These will mean less healthy products are no longer promoted in key locations, such as checkouts, store entrances, aisle ends and their online equivalents.

Further guidance can be found at Gov.uk 

7. Offensive Weapons Act 2019. The provisions of this Act commenced on the 6 April 2022.  The provisions include the implementation of new criminal offences for selling corrosive substances to those under 18, possessing a corrosive substance in a public place and in relation to bladed articles. 

8. The Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021 C19 came into force on the 1 October 2021. The Act means that a “business owner” commits an offence if in the course of the business owner's business— a person other than an approved person administers, in England, to another person (“A”)— (i) botulinum toxin, or (ii) a subcutaneous, submucous or intradermal injection of a filler for a cosmetic purpose, where A is under the age of 18. To access the guidance go to Gov.uk

9. The Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020 No. 1095). legislates to now make: 

  • Sales of bagged traditional house coal and wet wood in units under 2m3 unlawful.
  • Wet wood in larger volumes must be sold with advice on how to dry it before burning.
  • All manufactured solid fuels must now have a low sulphur content and only emit a small amount of smoke.
  • In addition, a new certification scheme will see products certified and labelled by suppliers to ensure that they can be easily identified, and retail outlets will only able to sell fuel that is accompanied by the correct label.

 For further related guidance go to Gov.uk

10. The Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020 No. 971)

These Regulations, which apply in relation to England, prohibit persons from supplying or offering to supply certain plastic items in the course of a business. The prohibitions now apply, except for the prohibition of the supply of drinks products with single-use plastic straws attached to their packaging, which applies from 3 July 2021.

Part 2 prohibits the supply of single-use plastic straws to an end user, subject to certain exceptions. The exceptions include the supply of straws by registered pharmacies, the supply of straws by a catering establishment together with food or drink for immediate consumption, and the supply of straws which are medical devices or are for use for medical purposes. Part 2 also prohibits the supply of drinks products with single-use plastic straws attached to their packaging, subject to an exception for medical purposes.

Part 3 prohibits the supply of single-use plastic stemmed cotton buds to an end user, other than for medical, forensic or scientific purposes.

Part 4 prohibits the supply of plastic drink stirrers.

To see the Government guidance on the new Regulations go to Gov.uk.

11. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 SI 2019 No.1093, (known as "Lucy's Law" see Gov.uk) was implemented on the 6 April 2020.

Regulation 2 amends a licence condition relating to the activity of selling animals as pets (or with a view to being resold as pets). The amendment precludes the sale of puppies and kittens bred by anyone other than the licence holder. Regulation 3 makes transitional provision for existing licences to be treated, in relation to sales made on or after 6 April 2020, as subject to a condition in the terms set out in regulation 2.

12. The Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019 SI 2019 No.1218. From the 1 October 2021, the manner in which food businesses must provide allergen labelling information for Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) food will change. On that date, PPDS food will need to have a label with a full ingredients list with allergenic ingredients emphasised within it. For more information go to the FSA website. 

13. Tenant Fees Act 2019. This Act came into force on the 1 June 2019.

The only payments that landlords can charge in connection with a tenancy are:

  • the rent
  • a refundable tenancy deposit capped at no more than five week's rent where the annual rent is less than £50,000, or six weeks rent where the total annual rent is £50,000 or above
  • a refundable holding deposit (to reserve a property) capped at no more than one week's rent
  • payments to change the tenancy when requested by the tenant, capped at £50, or reasonable costs incurred if higher
  • payments associated with early termination of the tenancy, when requested by the tenant
  • payments in respect of utilities, communication services, TV licence and council tax; and
  • A default payment for late payment of rent and replacement of a lost key/security device, where required under a tenancy agreement.

All other fees are now prohibited payments and are not legal. Go to Guidance for the private rented sector 

Which? Policy Report on Online Marketplaces and Product Safety

Product testing by Which? has found a succession of unsafe products for sale on online marketplaces in recent years. This includes toxic levels of chemicals in children’s toys; child car seats that are illegal to use in the UK; smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that do not work, and USB chargers that pose a fire or electrocution risk.

With over 90% of people now using online marketplaces to buy an increasingly wide range of consumer goods, these sites are no longer novel ways of shopping but normal practice for millions of people.

The report (pdf 250 kb) sets out the need for action to strengthen the legal responsibilities of online marketplaces and ensure that public authorities have adequate powers, tools and resources to require action from marketplaces when people are put at risk. Specifically, they are calling for a number of actions in relation to the following so that people can be confident they are only buying safe products:

  • Online marketplaces should be required to ensure that consumer products offered for sale by sellers on their sites are safe.
  • The actions that are required by online marketplaces when unsafe products are identified should be clarified.
  • Equip enforcement officers with appropriate powers and resources to police online marketplaces.
  • There should be greater transparency obligations so that consumers are clear who they are buying from.

Petitions Committee Fireworks Report 2019

On the 5 November 2019 the House of Commons Petitions Committee published its report on Fireworks (pdf 1.2 mb).  The Committee expressed the view 'that the Government has so far failed to act in response to legitimate concerns about fireworks expressed through the e-petitions system. People rightly expect the Government to listen to them, take their concerns, and act.

Construction Products

On the 19 January 2021 the Government announced that the Office for Product Safety and Standards will be the new regulator for the safety of construction products. Go to Gov.uk

NAO Product Safety Report

On the 16 June 2021 the National Audit Office published a report on the product safety regime. To see a copy of the full report go to Report (pdf 1.3 Mb) 

The Khan review: making smoking obsolete

The independent review by Dr Javed Khan OBE into the government’s ambition to make England smoke free by 2030 was published on the 9 June 2022.

This review was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and it provides independent, evidence-based advice that will inform the government’s approach to reduce the numbers of people taking up smoking and helping smokers to quit.

The review makes 15 recommendations for government to achieve a smoke free society. This includes 4 critical recommendations:

  1. Urgently invest £125 million per year in a comprehensive smoke free 2030 programme. Options to fund this include a ‘polluter pays’ levy.
  2. Increase the age of sale by one year, every year.
  3. Offer vaping as a substitute for smoking, alongside accurate information on the benefits of switching, including to healthcare professionals.
  4. For the NHS to prioritise further action to stop people from smoking, by providing support and treatment across all of its services, including primary care.

For further detail go to Gov.uk

Newsletter

The service aims to publish a newsletter on a bi-annual basis. To access a copy of our newsletter go to High Standard (pdf 1.7 mb). 

Contact

Trading Standards service, Directorate of City Operations, Neighbourhoods and Regulatory Services, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH. Email: tradingstandards@newcastle.gov.uk  

 

Did you know?

Operation CeCe which is a HMRC sponsored operation delivered by National Trading Standards through local authorities is now fully implemented and achieving significant results across Newcastle.  In 2021-2022 we seized some 611,514 suspected alleged cigarettes together with 194.84 Kg's of suspected alleged Hand Rolling Tobacco. In  2022-2023 we seized some 584,220 suspected illegal cigarettes and 166.15 Kg's of suspected illegal Hand Rolling Tobacco.  

In the first three quarters of 2023-2024 we have seized some 422,880 suspected illegal cigarettes and 136.6 Kg's of suspected illegal Hand Rolling Tobacco.  

When unlicensed premises are found to be selling illegal tobacco and alcohol, they are at risk of prosecutions as well as the possibility of a Closure Order under the provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014. To see where Closure Orders have been applied for by  Northumbria Police and granted on 3 premises in Newcastle go to the Chronicle of the 26 June 2023 and Tyne Tees of the 26 June 2023.    

Since 2021 as part of Operation Joseph which is delivered on behalf of the Government by the National Trading Standards Board, we have seized and removed from the market some 79,400 non-compliant and illegal vaping products. To see press articles related to this work go to the Chronicle of the 15 December 2023 and the Chronicle of the 30 December 2023. 

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