In 2014 we published a report setting out concerns that the reforms were failing to tackle the main issues affecting local authority enforcement, and were instead likely to exacerbate them.
Our concern was about the greater reliance the reforms were placing on local authority Trading Standards Services at a time when many local authorities were dramatically reducing their resourcing for such services. This report warned that that this risked undermining the basic consumer protection many people expect and set out a number of actions required to mitigate this risk.
See our full report: