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The Trading Standards Institute, formerly the Institute of Trading Standards Administration (founded in 1956), formerly the Incorporated Society of Inspectors of Weights and Measures (founded in 1881), is the professional association which represents trading standards professionals in the UK and overseas.
TSI performs an important and influencing role in engaging with, and making representations to, Government, UK and EU Parliamentary institutions, and key stakeholders in the local government, community, business and consumer sectors, and other regulatory agencies. TSI aims to sustain and improve consumer protection, health and wellbeing, together with the reinforcement of fair markets, facilitating business competitiveness and success.
TSI has five major goals, which are as follows:
1. To strengthen the Institute's influence and value by developing its member base.
2. To build beneficial partnerships that assist Trading Standards and those that depend on its effectiveness.
3. To raise the profile of Trading Standards.
4. To enable members to continuously develop their competencies and professionalism.
5. To capture and share intelligence and information to the added benefit of fair markets and consumer protection.
TSI members typically work in one of (approximately) 200 Trading Standards Offices around the United Kingdom, provided by local authorities, except in Northern Ireland, where Trading Standards is provided by central government. Trading Standards work with consumers and businesses to maintain fair trading and safety of consumer goods.
The Hampton Report of 2005 has led to the creation of the "Local Better Regulation Office" (LBRO) (Previously the (CTSA) Consumer and Trading Standards Agency). LBRO will set standards on how Trading Standards and other business regulators carry out their work to minimise the impact on legitimate business. The Hampton Report also gives an enhanced role for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The OFT will set national priorities and coordinate performance management of local authority Trading Standards services.
Trading Standards services work in partnership with Consumer Direct, a call centre based consumer advice service which has been available across the UK since April 2006. Consumer Direct provides a single contact point where simple enquiries may be dealt with directly and others referred to the relevant Trading Standards office.
Trading Standards
Trading Standards is the name given to local authority departments formerly known as "Weights and Measures". They were so called as their primary function was to maintain the integrity of commercial weighing and measuring by routine testing of equipment and goods.
They now deal with more diverse issues under a wide variety of Acts, Orders and Codes of Practice, as set out by central government the Food Standards Agency and the Office of Fair Trading. Such legislation includes the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, the Consumer Protection Act 1987, the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Price Marking Order 2004. Recent priorities include prevention of sales of counterfeit goods, sales of tobacco and alcohol to under-age buyers, and action to prevent exploitation of vulnerable consumers by scams and doorstep crime.
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