Consultation on consolidating and modernising consumer law and enforcement powers

Consultation

This is a government consultation of the revising and altering of powers of Trading Standards Officers. It must be seen against the government agenda of deregulation and removing red tape.

There are some elements which I believe will have a potential influence on UKWF members and would seek your views.

I would draw your attention to the following questions in the consultation:

Q9. We must ensure that the definition is sufficient to encompass traders buying and selling illegal scales on e-bay from their homes. Any reduction in this definition may make it more difficult to take actions to prevent their sale.

Q25-29. These relate to a suggestion that the present statutory qualification for the Inspector of Weights and Measures is removed and allow local authorities to use a more flexible and general qualification that is governed by a code of practice.

The UKWF feel that it is important to maintain the present qualification at a high level, to ensure that any enforcement would be commensurate with the increasingly technical nature of the market place. There is a concern that the removal of the examination would lead to a further diminution of professional standards as local authorities seek to further reduce costs.

The other questions in this part of the consultation relates to the potential opening up of the market place in the calibration of standards. I can see some benefit in this and would seek your views. I would ask for any comments by the 1st June 2012.

In the meantime, please give me a call if you would like to discuss either of the updates

Update on EN45501

 

The latest draft of the standard has now been rejected and will not be in this form. I attach the responses to the standard for your information.

This means that a revision of the standard will now take place, taking into account the objections. It is hoped that this will be completed by mid-July. The standard will then be voted on and if accepted, the old standard will be revoked a maximum of 36 months after the publication of the new standard. The length of the transition period will be confirmed during the voting process and may be shorter than 36 months.

As it is very difficult to estimate the exact length of time that it may be legal to place instruments at the 3v immunity level on the market, it would be advisable to ensure that any new type approvals and amendments to existing type approvals meet the 10v criteria