§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of differences in financial commitment by local authorities on the application of trading standards rules. [97499]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 9 November 1999]: The Consumer White Paper (Chapter 7) recognises that some trading standards services, particularly in small authorities, face budgetary pressures, and reviews the consequences, including inconsistent enforcement of trading rules. The White Paper contains a number of proposals for addressing this issue.