§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is the cost to public funds of consumer protection enforcement officers.
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§ Mr. MaclennanIt is estimated that the cost of local authorities' consumer protection enforcement work in England and Wales in 1976–77 will be approximately £18 million.
§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection why it is not necessary for consumer protection enforcement officers to have any specific qualifications.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe basic enforcement work of consumer protection officers, or trading standards officers as they are more commonly called, is in the field of weights and measures and no inspector may be appointed until he or she has passed my Department's qualifying examination. Following the report of a working party set up by the Local Government Training Board, trainees are now undergoing instruction for the Diploma in Trading Standards examination, which covers the whole field of consumer protection enforcement.
§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection how many consumer protection enforcement officers are currently employed by his Department.
A. Weights and Measures Act 1963 … … Functions allocated to "local weights and measures authorities". Trade Descriptions Acts 1968, 1972 … … Fabrics (Misdescription) Act 1913 … … Consumer Protection Acts 1961, 1971 … … Fair Trading Act 1973 … … Hallmarking Act 1973 … … Consumer Credit Act 1974 … … Prices Acts 1974, 1975 … … B. Food and Drugs Act 1955 … … Composition and labelling provisions allocated to "food and drugs authorities". C. Pharmacy and Poisons Act 1933. Agriculture Act 1970. Explosives Act 1875. Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928. Celluloid and Cinematograph Film Act 1922. Road Traffic Act 1972. Diseases of Animals Act 1950. Local authorities also will have to enforce provisions of certain EEC regulations or of directives implemented under the European communities Act 1972
§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for Prices and consumer Protection what was the total number of prosecutions as a result of the work of consumer protection enforcement officers during 1975; and how many of these prosecutions were successful.
§ Mr. MaclennanComparable information is not collected on a national basis. I understand that in England and
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§ Mr. MaclennanNone.
§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what is the salary scale for consumer protection enforcement officers.
§ Mr. MaclennanThis is a matter for employing local authorities. Appointments to the basic grade of inspector in most authorities are to grade AP 4/5. Salary scales are those settled by the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical Services.
§ Mr. Giles Shawasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection if he will list the functions and duties of a consumer protection enforcement officer.
§ Mr. MaclennanThis is a matter for decision by individual authorities. With few exceptions—for example, the Diseases of Animals, Petroleum and Explosives Acts—relevant provisions of the following legislation are enforced by all county consumer protection or trading standards departments; the pattern varies widely in London so far as the functions under B and C are concerned.
Wales in the year ended 31st March 1976, local weights and measures authorities in (the shire and metropolitan counties took 6,262 prosecutions, most of which were successful.