Trading Standards Officers

HC Deb 24 July 1989 vol 157 c489W

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many trading standards officers there are in each local authority area.

Mr. Viggers

The trading standards service in Northern Ireland is a central Government function and is the responsibility of the Department of Economic Development.

Branch headquarters are located at Newtownbreda near Belfast and there are local offices in Armagh, Ballymena, Coleraine, Enniskillen, Londonderry and Newry. The inspectorate, known as trading standards officers, comprises 20 qualified staff including the chief inspector. Of these, 13 are located at headquarters and the remainder at the outstations.