Trading Standards
Service Outline
The Trading Standards Service is responsible to the City Council for the enforcement of a broad range of legislation aimed at protecting consumers or regulating the way businesses conduct themselves with consumers. The list of legislation runs to forty five Acts of Parliament and several hundred pieces of related secondary legislation. Our major activities include:-
- testing scales, petrol pumps and intoxicating liquor dispensers to confirm that they are accurate and that the quantity indications on commodities are correct (Weights & Measures Act);
- preventing the supply of dangerous, unsafe or harmful consumer products (Consumer Protection Act);
- verifying that the claims or statements made about goods, services, accommodation and facilities are truthful Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations;
- weighing road vehicles to prevent them being driven in an overloaded condition (Road Traffic Act);
- preventing sales of alcohol, cigarettes, fireworks, gas lighter refills, spray paints and restricted videos to young people (Consumer Protection Act, Licensing Act and Children & Young Persons Act);
- ensuring that credit providers are fit and proper persons, that their advertisements are not misleading and that they supply prescribed documentation (Consumer Credit Act);
- disrupting the sale of counterfeit or pirate goods (Trade Marks Act);
- investigating rogue doorstep traders (Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations);
- scrutinising pricing indications to see that the prescribed information is given and that comparisons or reductions are genuine (Prices Act) and Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations;
- overseeing the welfare of animals during transit and controlling the importation of animals to prevent dangerous diseases, particularly rabies entering the UK (Animal Health Act);
- enforcing the rules regarding hallmarking of articles of gold, silver and platinum offered for sale (Hallmarking Act);
- checking that video recordings are correctly labeled with classification, that unclassified videos are not sold and that only licensed sex shops supply sex videos (Video Recordings Act).
Further information can be found on our website www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/manchester.
