Backing for local Trading Standards

Seventy-nine per cent of local businesses were ‘satisfied’ with the overall level of services provided by Powys County Council's Trading Standards Service, latest survey results have revealed.

The survey was conducted after trading standards staff visited businesses in the county during a routine inspection or where the businesses has contacted the service looking for assistance in resolving a matter for them.

Ninety per cent of businesses thought that they were treated fairly and officers were courteous and polite while 83 per cent thought that staff were informative. 86 per cent felt that the advice provided was easy to understand.

Trading Standards visit premises in Powys checking the accuracy of weighing and measuring equipment including petrol pumps, scales in shops and optics in bars to benefit consumers and traders. Today, their work is increasingly intelligence led and they deal with reactive problems such as rogue traders and scams.

Staff also check that prices are displayed and charged accurately, that goods are safe to be sold and cover some 100 Parliament Acts on all aspects of trade law.

Working on laws covering animal health is also important in a county like Powys so animal health officers within the service visit farms and markets to check on the accuracy of records of stock and other welfare standards and some of these traders were part of the survey.

Cllr Graham Brown, Board Member responsible for Public Protection, said: "Services such as Trading Standards provide massive support to legitimate businesses in difficult times and ensure they trade fairly and competitively.

"This survey has demonstrated the innovative relationship our service adopts with businesses to support and advise them while also tackling the dishonest such as rogue traders and those involved in shadow economy activities like counterfeiting which destabilises our communities."

Clive Jones, the council's Principal Trading Standards Officer, said: "We're constantly striving to improve our services and they surveys help to find out where improvements can be made. We work continuously with businesses as promoting fair trading in Powys is about providing correct advice and support to traders."

The survey also provides the opportunity to engage with businesses to ask them where the service should concentrate resources to achieve maximum effect. Their feedback has supported the service's plans to target areas including:

- Product counterfeiting;

- Tackling mass marketing scams;

- Reducing sales of age-restricted sales;

- Tackling doorstep callers through response teams.

“We will also be promoting later this year a better trade scheme named ‘Trustmark’ which will provide an opportunity for local traders to be recognised in a Government-approved scheme,” added Clive Jones.

The Trading Standards Offices can be contacted on: 01686 617524 or email trading.standards@powys.gov.uk or visit www.powys.gov.uk/tradingstandards