The Buckinghamshire
County Council and Surrey County Council Trading Standards Service
Joint Committee is asked to note the performance of the Service in
the first half of the financial year, since April 2016. The report
covers performance against seven high level indicators as well as
details of performance against the service budget.
The information
provided shows that, overall, the Service if performing well and is
delivering excellent results against key performance indicators and
that it is projected the Service budget will be under spent at
outturn, achieving all the savings projected in the Business Case
for the shared service and exceeding income generation targets for
the year.
Michele Manson, Business
Development Manager,Buckinghamshire County
Council and Surrey County Council Joint Trading Standards
Service
Phil Dart, Service Director for
Communities, Buckinghamshire County Council
Steve Ruddy, Head of Trading
Standards,Buckinghamshire County Council and
Surrey County Council Joint Trading Standards Service
Yvonne Rees, Strategic Director
Communities, Surrey County Council
Key
points from the discussion:
The Joint Committee
received an introduction to the report from officers who informed
Members that Buckinghamshire County Council and Surrey County
Council Joint Trading Standards Service (Trading Standards) had
demonstrated strong performance against all of its Key Performance
Indicators (KPI). Attention was drawn to Trading Standards’
performance in areas such as income generation where the service
was significantly ahead of target. The Joint Committee was also
advised that Trading Standards continued to take robust enforcement
action where necessary.
The Joint Committee
heard that the service had achieved direct savings for residents of
£117,994 in the year to date, ahead of the same time last
year.. Members were advised, however, that savings were not evenly
distributed across each quarter Members stated that KPI 1 should
make clear that a reduction in the number of scams and illegal
trading practices taking place across Buckinghamshire and Surrey,
which was the primary objective of Trading Standards, would
ultimately lead to decreased direct savings for residents through
scams prevented against money recovered afterwards. Officers
indicated that they would consider how the KPIs could be amended to
better reflect the impact of prevention.
Members sought clarification on the proportion of
funds collected by Trading Standards arising from the Proceeds of
Crime Act (POCA) that the service was entitled to retain. Officers
noted that in general when the service was both investigator and
prosecutor we would recover a third of the money collected through,
POCA after any compensation payable to victims with the remaining
two thirds being between the Home Office and the Courts.
Discussions took place on whether Trading Standards received a fair
allocation of money confiscated through POCA. The Joint Committee
was advised that the priority for POCA was ensuring compensation
for victims.
The Joint Committee asked whether defence lawyers
were continuing to argue that Trading Standards Services nationally
were taking action under POCA inappropriately. Officers confirmed
that this defence of “abuse of process” was sometimes
begun, it had not been successful. Officers confirmed that the
service followed existing policies, legislative requirements, and
government guidance on the use of POCA hence minimising the risk of
successful legal challenge.
Data showed that the level of penalties imposed and
number of convictions was lower than at the same time for the
previous year. Officers advised Members that 2015/16 had been an
exceptional year for prosecuting rogue traders and that the results
from 2016/17 should be considered in this light. It was
highlighted, however, that the service had successfully prosecuted
two significant cases since publication of the figures in the
report. Officers further advised that the performance data
didn’t capture civil actions where Trading Standards had
secured court ...
view the full minutes text for item 17/16
The Official Food
Standards and Feed Controls Service Plan (known as the ‘FSA
Plan’) is a statutory plan required to be produced annually
by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The overall structure follows guidance from the FSA
and includes the necessary facts and statistics to ensure the
document is valid as a statutory plan. The statistical and
financial content is different to last year as it relates to the
new joint service.
This
‘statutory’ Plan is required to be submitted to the
‘relevant Member Forum for approval’. In approving this
Plan, the Joint Committee will be establishing a framework that
will meet the expectations of the FSA. The FSA Plan is a public
document and will be made available via the website and in printed
version to anyone on request.
David Pickering, Public Health
& Compliance Manager, Buckinghamshire County Council and Surrey
County Council Joint Trading Standards Service
Phil Dart, Service Director for
Communities, Buckinghamshire County Council
Steve Ruddy, Head of Trading
Standards, Buckinghamshire County Council and Surrey County Council
Joint Trading Standards Service
Yvonne Rees, Strategic Director
Communities, Surrey County Council
Key
points from the discussion:
An introduction to
the report was provided by officers who informed Members that the
Food Standards Agency (FSA) required the Joint Committee to sign
off Trading Standards’ Official Food Standards and Feed
Controls Service Plan 2016-2017. The Committee was advised that
efforts had been made to make the Plan more user friendly for
businesses but that the FSA did require it to contain specific
information which meant there was limited scope for
changes.
The Joint Committee
inquired about the extent to which Trading Standards and
Environmental Health collaborated in respect of regulating and
inspecting businesses through out Buckinghamshire and Surrey.
Officers acknowledged that more needed to be done to improve how
effectively Trading Standards and Environmental Health worked
together so that they were able to share information across both
organisations.
Discussions took
place regarding FSA’s audit of the effectiveness of Trading
Standards’ feed controls. Officers advised that the outcome
of the audit had generally been positive with the FSA’s
concerns relating to data management and that Trading Standards
were not visiting feed producers frequently enough.
The Committee agreed
that the results of the Feed Audit should be put forward for
consideration by SCC’s Statutory Responsibilities
Network.
Actions/ further information to be provided:
FSA Feed Audit
outcome to be put forward for consideration by SCC’s
Statutory Responsibilities Network.
RESOLVED:
That the Buckinghamshire County Council and Surrey County Council
Joint Trading Standards Service Committee approve the 2016/17
Official Food Standards and Feed Controls Service Plan (the FSA
Plan).
19/16
DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
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The next meeting of the Buckinghamshire County
Council and Surrey County Council Joint Trading Standards Service
Committee will be held on 21 February 2017.
Minutes:
The Committee noted that its next meeting will
be held on 21 February 2016.
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