Trading Standards news

On this page the primary aim is to update and make aware both businesses and consumers of new developments that impact on both these groups.

Sale of Disposable Vapes To Be Banned 

The sale of disposable vapes will be banned in England from the 1 June 2025.

The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024 SI 2024 No. 1216 have now been published. 

From 1 June 2025, it will be illegal for businesses to sell, offer to sell or have in their possession for sale all single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes. This applies to:

• sales online and in shops
• all vapes whether or not they contain nicotine 

If a vape is reusable, you’ll still be able sell it.  

For the national guidance go to: Gov.uk 

Construction Products Reform Green Paper

On the 26 February 2025 the Government produced a Green Paper: "Construction Products Reform Green Paper". 

"The tragedy at Grenfell Tower and the two subsequent independent reviews, conducted by Dame Judith Hackitt and Paul Morrell and Anneliese Day, exposed significant failures in the construction products regulatory system, revealing institutional failures that allowed profit to come before safety.    

​Despite the significant reforms initiated in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the government is clear that critical gaps persist in the construction products regulatory framework. This government is proposing a series of ambitious and far-reaching reforms aimed at enhancing safety, ensuring accountability, and fostering innovation and growth and therefore confidence across the construction sector.  

​The green paper supports the government response to the Grenfell Inquiry. It sets out a range of proposals for construction products reform, including proposals that address the Inquiry‘s recommendations". Go to Gov.uk  for further information and links to the  Consultation. The consultation closes on the 21 May 2025 at 11.59pm.

Stricter age verification checks and a ban on doorstep drops to greater protect young people from knife crime.

On the 28 January 2025, the Government announced that stricter age verification checks and a ban on doorstep drops will be introduced to greater protect young people from knife crime. These new measures have also been identified as also preventing weapons getting into the wrong hands.

A stringent 2-step system will be mandated for all retailers selling knives online requiring customers to submit photo ID at point of sale and again on delivery. In addition, delivery companies will only be able to deliver a bladed article to the same person who purchased it.

Under the new measures a person may need to submit a copy of a photo ID such as driving licence or passport, as well as proof of address such as a utility bill, before showing ID again when the package is delivered. This could also include a person submitting a current photo or video of themselves to an online retailer alongside their ID. It will also be illegal to leave a package containing a bladed weapon on a doorstep when no one is in to receive it.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It’s a total disgrace how easy it still is for children to get dangerous weapons online. More than two years after Ronan Kanda was killed with a ninja sword bought by a teenager online, too many retailers still don’t have proper checks in place. It’s too easy to put in false birth dates, parcels are too often being dropped off at a doorstop with no questions asked. We cannot go on like this. We need much stronger checks – before you buy, before it’s delivered.

The measures I am setting out today will be crucial in addressing this problem and are part of our Plan for Change and mission to make streets safer”.

The Government has previously announced that they will hold social media executives to account for knife crime related content which glorifies and incites violence amongst young people. Senior executives of social media companies will face significant fines in the region of £10,000 for failing to swiftly remove knife crime related content from their platforms.

The measures announced are set to be included as part of the Crime and Policing Bill which is expected to be introduced to Parliament by spring, with more proposals still to come in the coming weeks.

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Amendment Regulations 2025

On the 22 January 2025 the Government announced that it will lay a statutory instrument to amend the 1988 Regulations as soon as parliamentary time allows. The immediate action taken to amend the 1988 Regulations will be:

• Removing certain baby products from scope to address concerns about exposure to chemical flame retardants of young children, without compromising fire safety.
• Removing the requirement to attach a display labelling to reduce burdens on businesses.
• Increasing the time limit for enforcement authorities to institute legal proceedings.

For further detail go to Gov.uk

Tobacco and Vapes Bill 

On the 5 November 2024 the Government introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at Westminster.

The Bill aims to introduce a progressive smoking ban to gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the UK, so that anyone born on or after 1st January 2009 will never be able to legally be sold cigarettes.  This means there will be no restrictions on people who can already legally smoke.

The Bill strengthens enforcement activity including the extension of the Tobacco Retailers Register to include vapes and other nicotine products.  It also includes provision to allow for the introduction of a retail licensing scheme in the longer term to replace the Registration scheme.  This will be subject to public consultation.

In addition, the new Bill includes further welcome enhancements including the extension of existing tobacco advertising, sponsorship and brand-sharing rules to include cigarette papers, herbal smoking products, vaping products and other nicotine products.  The legislation will also allow regulations to be made to extend smoke-free provisions in public outdoor places (or workplaces) and to make smoke-free places also vape-free and heated tobacco-free.

Minister Nesbitt said:

“The proposed measures in this Bill offer a huge public health opportunity to reduce preventable death and illness.  This is particularly important in communities where the prevalence of tobacco use is the largest contributor to health inequalities. Reducing these health inequalities across Northern Ireland is one of my key areas of focus and I am positive this legislation will make a very significant difference going forward.”  

Organic Claims for Foods

The Organic Products Regulations 2009 SI 2009 No 842. require that businesses must be certified by an approved UK organic control body if they produce, prepare, store, import, export or sell organic food in the UK.

They can only label food as ‘organic’, or use terms relating to organic production methods, if:

• it meets organic production rules
• at least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic
• all other ingredients, additives and processing aids are listed as permitted within the organic regulations
  the product,
• its labels and any suppliers are certified by an approved UK organic control body
  Contact your control body for guidance on organic production rules.

Other terms relating to organic methods include:

• ‘organically grown’
• ‘organically produced’
• ‘grown or produced using organic principles’
• ‘grown or produced using organic methods’

The rules also apply to company names or brand names. For example, you could not use the name ‘Smith’s Organic’ for a non-organic product or business. For further information on the requirements go to Gov.uk or Business Companion

Environmental Claims 

To access guidance on the legality of environmental claims go to the CMA 

Food Safety Ratings

Businesses have a general duty not to undertake unfair trading practices under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (SI 2008 No.1277) (CPRs).

The CPRs aid in determining whether certain advertising and marketing practices are misleading, aggressive or lack due diligence.

In addition to this general duty, there are 31 business practices that are banned outright, such as displaying a quality mark without authorisation.

The aim of the CPRs is to provide a framework for determining whether certain practices are misleading, aggressive or lack due diligence on the basis that they would alter the behaviour of the average customer. In other words, if it can be determined that the customer made a purchase that they otherwise would not have done if they knew the full facts of the matter, then the business has engaged in unfair practices.

This covers engaging in misleading practices such as making false or deceptive statements in marketing material, or omitting important information that would have a bearing on the customer’s purchasing decision. For complete clarity this includes the display of a a false and outdated food safety rating. 

To see a related press item go to BBC News. 

Safety Alert: Water Beads

On the 20 September 2024, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a Safety Alert to warn of the risks that water beads can pose to children and vulnerable adults. This follows action taken by OPSS to remove unsafe products from the market.

The Safety Alert advises that water beads should be kept away from young children, under 5 years of age, and only used with older children or vulnerable adults under close supervision.

Water beads are beads that can expand up to 400 times their original size when exposed to liquid. They are marketed for various purposes, including for use as toys, in crafting, as home decor or in floristry. They are sold under a variety of names including, but not limited to, jelly balls, water balls, sensory beads or water crystals.

When swallowed, water beads expand and can block the gastrointestinal passage which can then require surgery. The beads can also cause choking and have harmed children in the UK, with reports linking them to deaths overseas. Water beads can be difficult to detect and do not show up in x-ray.

Read the Safety Alert for water beads.

Read Product Safety Reports for specific water bead products where action has been taken.

Ticketmaster: consumer protection case

On the 5 September 2024 the Competition and Markets Authority announced that it is investigating consumer protection concerns regarding the sale of Oasis concert tickets by Ticketmaster, including how so-called ‘dynamic pricing' may have been used. For more information go to CMA.

Kings Speech 2024

"A Bill will be introduced to progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes and impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes [Tobacco and Vapes Bill]. My Ministers will also legislate to restrict advertising of junk food to children along with the sale of high caffeine energy drinks to children". 

Avian Flu 

26 March 2025

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was confirmed in poultry at a premises near Blaydon, Blaydon and Consett, Durham (AIV 2025/31). A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone has been declared around the premises. All poultry on the premises will be humanely culled. The 10Km surveillance zone brings in the western side of Newcastle just north of the River Tyne. 

24 March 2025
Influenza of avian origin (H5N1) has been detected in a sheep in England. The case was identified following routine surveillance of farmed livestock on a premises in Yorkshire where highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) had been confirmed in other captive birds. The ewe tested positive for H5 antibodies in the blood, and her milk was positive for H5 RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The ewe had been showing clinical signs of mastitis.

All affected birds and the infected ewe were humanely culled to mitigate the risk of further disease spread. Further official testing of the remaining flock of sheep at the premises, including the lambs of the affected ewe, were negative for the presence of avian influenza virus.

While this is the first time avian influenza virus has been detected in a sheep, it is not the first time influenza of avian origin has been detected in livestock in other countries. There is no evidence to suggest an increased risk to the nation’s livestock population.

Extension to avian influenza prevention zone

In response to the increased number of cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry in new areas of the country and the continued heightened risk levels in poultry and kept birds, the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) is being extended to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of the disease.

From 00:01 on Sunday 16 February 2025 the avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) housing measures will be extended to cover Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire in addition to the East Riding of Yorkshire, City of Kingston Upon Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Shropshire, York and North Yorkshire.

The England wide AIPZ mandating enhanced biosecurity in all other counties remains in force.  The interactive map and declaration will be updated on Saturday to show these changes.

In addition, an AIPZ mandating enhanced biosecurity but without mandatory housing came into force at noon on Saturday 25 January 2025 across all other areas of England. A similar zone will also apply in Scotland.

The AIPZ measures apply to all bird keepers whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock and are essential to protecting flocks from avian influenza.

Bird keepers are advised to consult the interactive map to check if they are impacted and should then read the AIPZ declaration schedule relevant to their area.

The AIPZs will be in place until further notice and will be kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza.

From midday on Monday 10 February 2025 bird gatherings of poultry, galliforme or anseriforme birds are banned in England.  This includes ducks, geese, swans, pheasants, partridge, quail, chickens, turkeys and guinea fowl.

Gatherings of other captive birds will continue to be permitted, providing you follow and meet all the requirements of the captive bird gathering general licence.

Blue Tongue

Bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health or food safety. 

Bluetongue virus is primarily transmitted by biting midges (Culicoides species) and affects cattle, sheep, and other ruminants such as goats and deer, and camelids such as llamas. The virus does not affect people or food safety.

In an updated qualitative risk assessment, APHA confirm there is a very high probability of a new introduction of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) into livestock in Great Britain through infected biting midges being blown over from northern Europe.  Biting midges are most active between April and November and the timing of a potential incursion will depend on the temperature and wind patterns.  

What is Bluetongue?

•    Bluetongue is a notifiable disease and suspicion must be reported to APHA.
•    It is a viral disease, which affects ruminants (such as sheep, cattle, goats and deer) and camelids (llamas and alpacas). It does not affect horses or pigs.
•    Symptoms vary across ruminants, but include fever, lesions, redness of the mouth, eyes, nose, reddening of the skin above the hoof, excessive salivation and nasal discharge. Some animals may show few or no clinical signs. 
•    BTV is mainly spread by adult-infected midges biting an animal susceptible to the disease. This is classed as ‘vector-borne’ transmission.
•    Infected midges can spread locally and more widely in certain temperatures and wind conditions.
•    There is currently no approved vaccine available for BTV3 in Europe.

It does not affect people or food safety, but outbreaks can result in prolonged animal movement and trade restrictions.

If you suspect bluetongue you must report it immediately by calling:

03000 200 301 if you’re in England Bluetongue is a notifiable disease. If you do not report it, you’re breaking the law. For further information go to Gov.uk

E-Bikes and E-Scooters Fire Safety Advice

E-bikes and e-scooters are becoming increasingly popular. Most are powered by lithium-ion batteries which can be charged in the home. The use of these batteries in a wide range of household products is becoming increasingly common.

It is important when charging e-bikes and e-scooters, you do so safely to avoid a risk of a fire starting and putting your families and homes at risk.

With an increased use of e-bikes and e-scooters, comes a corresponding fire safety concern associated with their charging and storage. The use of these products is expected to continue to rise. Some fire services and fire investigators have seen a rise in e-bike and e-scooter battery fires.

Currently there is limited data relating to the number of fires, but London Fire Brigade reported 8 fires caused by e-bikes and e-scooters in 2019. This rose to twenty-four in 2020 and fifty-nine by December 2021.

On occasions batteries can fail catastrophically, they can ‘explode’ and/or lead to a rapidly developing fire. For media stories go to: BBC News and Sky News of the 27 July 2023 and the Chronicle of the 31 July 2023. 

For further information go to NFCC and to  access the OPSS safety poster (pdf 203 kb).  

Competition and Markets Authority Report

On the 20 July 2023, the CMA published a report on pricing within retail premises. You can access the full report here:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unit-pricing

The focus of the review was primarily on the unit pricing practices of 11 nationwide supermarkets but it also considered the unit pricing practices of seven nationwide variety store retailers that sell general merchandise such as hardware, toys, furniture and seasonal goods alongside a relatively small selection of groceries.

The review found problems in the following areas:-

• missing or incorrectly calculated unit pricing information
• incorrect units of measurement
• different unit metrics being used for the same type of product
• retailers taking different approaches to displaying unit prices for products on promotion both in-store and online, with some retailers not displaying unit prices for discounted products at all;
• examples of unit prices in-store, particularly among the variety stores, which we consider are difficult to read;
• certain pages on some retailers’ websites not providing a unit price alongside a selling price until individual items were selected.

Many problems were similar to the issues identified in the 2015 Groceries super-complaint. At that time, the CMA made recommendations to the UK government to review and reform the Price Marking Order 2004 (PMO). Ambiguities in the PMO continue to be problematic. Compliance with the PMO was worse amongst some of the variety store retailers, compared to the supermarkets.

The CMA has written directly to certain supermarkets and variety store retailers to highlight specific non-compliance concerns and to tell them to take action to address the concerns that we have identified. CMA are ready to take enforcement action if they do not see improvements.

The CMA are also making recommendations to the UK government to reform the PMO and related legislation to improve unit pricing. Recommendations relate to the consistency, definitions and legibility requirements.

New Sanctions to Tackle Illegal Tobacco

From 20 July 2023, new sanctions came into force which will mean businesses and individuals selling illicit tobacco can receive a penalty of up to £10,000.

Trading Standards officers will now have the power to refer cases to HMRC for further investigation where businesses or individuals have been found to sell illicit tobacco. HMRC, where appropriate, will administer the penalties and ensure the appropriate sanction is applied and enforced. Depending on the severity of the breach, rule-breaking businesses could:

• Receive a penalty of between £2,500 and £10,000 for the supply of products which contravene Tobacco Track & Trace (TT&T)
• Have their tobacco products seized
• Lose their licence to buy tobacco for resale in the UK by having their Economic Operator ID withdrawn

The new powers build on the successful work of Operation CeCe, a joint initiative between HMRC and National Trading Standards to tackle the illicit tobacco trade, which has removed 27 million illicit cigarettes and 7,500kg of hand rolling tobacco from sale in its first two years.

Trade in illicit tobacco costs the exchequer over £2 billion in lost tax revenue each year. It also damages legitimate businesses, undermines public health and facilitates the supply of tobacco to young people.

Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has become law after receiving Royal Assent.

The Act paves the way to give consumers rights across the UK, with greater control and clarity over online purchases.

It does this by requiring businesses to provide clearer information to consumers before they enter a subscription contract, remind consumers that their free trial or low-cost trial is coming to an end, and ensure consumers can easily exit a contract.

Unavoidable hidden fees will also need to be included in the initial cost or clearly illustrated at the start of the purchasing journey. This will ensure consumers are clear from the offset about what they’re spending.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act will also give new tools to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to address the challenges to competition in digital markets.

These tools will allow the competition regulator to set tailored ‘conduct requirements’ which require a powerful tech company to change the way it operates if it is not treating users fairly. These rules could give consumers the room to freely choose the services they use, or stop companies from withholding information consumers need to make good decisions.  

The Act also gives the regulator powers to intervene and direct a firm to change its behaviour to boost competition – whether that is to benefit people using smartphones or businesses dependent on cloud services.  

The Act will also give new powers to the CMA to closely monitor road fuel prices and report any sign of malpractice to the government.

Only a handful of the most powerful global technology companies will be subject to these new rules if, following an investigation, they are deemed to hold ‘strategic market status’.  

If companies fail to comply with decisions made by the CMA, they could be subject to fines reaching tens of billions of pounds. These fines and other measures will be balanced by rigorous checks and balances.

EU Exit

Updated guidance on the changes can be found on Gov.uk   

New Legislation

1. The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024 SI 2024 No. 1216 have now been published. 

Part 2 prohibits the supply, offer for supply or possession for supply of single-use vapes. Breach of these prohibitions is an offence (regulation 4), subject to the mutual recognition principle in the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 (c. 27) where applicable.

A civil sanctions regime enables regulators to impose a range of civil sanctions (regulation 9 and the Schedule). These are fixed monetary penalties, compliance notices, stop notices and enforcement undertakings. The Regulations make provision for the procedure relating to these sanctions and the available appeal mechanisms. Failure to comply with a stop notice is an offence (paragraph 16 of the Schedule). All appeals relating to a civil sanction are to the First-tier Tribunal.

Regulations 8 and 10 provide for enforcement officers to have powers of entry to carry out the necessary investigations in order to determine whether an offence has been committed.

Regulation 11 provides for the Secretary of State to give a direction for the disposal or other treatment of single-use vapes in respect of which an offence has been committed. Regulation 12 provides for publication of information on enforcement action taken by regulators. Regulation 13 provides that guidance relating to the use of civil sanctions must be prepared and consulted on, and specifies information to be included in such guidance. Regulation 14 contains provision for review of the Regulations.

Regulators are able to recover the costs of enforcement in the case of compliance notices and stop notices and must issue guidance about their use of enforcement cost recovery notices.

2. The Price Marking (Amendment) Order 2024. SI 2024, No. 1055. This Order amends the Price Marking Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/102), and comes into force on 1 October 2025.

Article 2(4) substitutes the text of paragraph 7(3) which sets out the requirements concerning the display of freight, delivery and postal charges.

Article 2(5) inserts a new article 7A, which provides that, where a trader offers a product at more than one selling price, for example a standard price and a different price for the members of a trader’s loyalty scheme, then the trader is required to show each selling price and unit price together with the conditions which need to be satisfied in order for the different prices to apply.

Article 2(6) amends article 9 to require that the reduced selling price and the reduced unit price must be displayed in the case of a general reduction.

Article 2(7) revokes article 14, which sets out provisions concerning units of quantity, and article 2(8) revokes Schedule 1 which set out relevant units of quantity for specified products for the purpose of the definition of “unit price”.

Article 2(9) substitutes paragraph 3 in Schedule 2, so that a trader is exempt from the requirement to show the unit price in certain cases where a product consists of an assortment of items where some of the items are sold according to weight and some according to volume or at different selling prices when sold outside the package.

3. The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024. SI 2024 No. 296. The Regulations ban the keeping of primates as pets. The legislation brings in a licensing scheme setting strict rules to ensure that only private keepers who meet new welfare and licensing standards will be able to keep primates, in order to provide greater legal protection for pet primates.

The measures come into force from 6 April 2026 when all primates in England will need to be kept to these zoo-level standards - in effect banning the practice of keeping primates as pets.

4. Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 On the 19 March 2024, Government published an amendment to the Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988 which applies to England, Scotland and Wales. The amendment, has allowed for the sale of new quantities of prepacked still and sparkling wines. Go to Gov.uk.

5. The Environmental Protection (Plastic Plates etc. and Polystyrene Containers etc.) (England) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023 No.982) came into force on the 1 October 2023. 

These Regulations, which apply in relation to England, prohibit persons from supplying or offering to supply certain plastic or polystyrene items in the course of a business. Part 2 prohibits the supply of single-use plastic plates, trays or bowls, balloon sticks and cutlery. It also prohibits the supply of single-use polystyrene food or drink containers and cups.

For more information go to Gov.uk

6. The Product Safety and Metrology (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022 No.1393) 

Regulation 2 extends the period during which certain obligations are met by complying with EU obligations from 24 months to four years from IP completion day for a number of products as set out in Schedule 1.

Regulation 3 extends the period during which conformity markings can be placed on a label affixed to the product, or a document accompanying the product, rather than on the product itself, from 36 months to seven years from IP completion day for a number of products as set out in Schedule 2.

Regulation 4 extends the period during which information identifying an importer can be set out in a document accompanying the imported product from 24 months to seven years from IP completion day for a number of products as set out in Schedule 3.

Regulations 5 and 6, 8 to 14 and 15(2)(b) to 22 provide that where a manufacturer has taken action under EU conformity assessment procedures before 31st December 2024, that action will be treated as if taken under the conformity assessment procedures which apply in Great Britain. The provision includes conditions relating to the continued validity of certificates issued in respect of the EU conformity assessment procedures and a cut-off date of 31 December 2027, after which the provision will cease to have effect.

Regulation 7, in relation to cosmetics, extends the period during which the requirement to set out information identifying a responsible person in a document accompanying an imported cosmetic product is treated as met if the document provides information identifying an EU responsible person from 24 months to seven years from IP completion day.

7. The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2002 came into force on 30 June 2022 and is the first major piece of legislation to reform the leasehold system in a generation. It means new regulated leaseholders won’t face demands for ground rent and are entitled to refuse payment on any demand for any prohibited rent.

Generally, most residential long leases (over 21 years) of a single dwelling, which are not excepted leases, granted after 30 June 2022 will qualify for protections under the Act.

Ground rent is a property industry term given to a rent that is usually paid annually by leaseholders to their landlord on top of the property purchase price and service charges. There is no clear service provided by the landlords in return for the payment of ground rent and there is no obligation for landlords to charge a ground rent.

What changes does the Act introduce?
1. That if any ground rent is demanded as part of a new regulated lease, it cannot be for more than one peppercorn per year (zero financial value).
2. That a landlord cannot charge an administration fee for collecting a peppercorn rent.

8. The Toys and Cosmetic Products (Restriction of Chemical Substances) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022 No. 659) Regulations make changes to the toy and cosmetic regulations annexes, either entailing an amendment to the permitted level or the prohibition of specific chemicals in toys and cosmetic products.  

You can find out further information by reading the Planned changes to toys and cosmetics regulations GOV.UK news article.

9. The Food (Promotion and Placement (England) Regulations 2021 (SI 2021 No.1368)  were planned to come into force on the 1 October 2022. On the 14 May 2022 the Government announced that the full implementation of the regulations will be delayed in light of the unprecedented global economic situation and in order to give industry more time to prepare for the restrictions on advertising. This delay has now been extended by the Government until the 1 October 2025. 

• Rules limiting the location of unhealthy foods in shops went ahead as planned.
• Rules banning multibuy deals on foods and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) – including buy one get one free (BOGOF), ‘3 for 2’, and restrictions on free refills for soft drinks – will now be delayed until the 1 October 2025.
• Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products – a key part of the government’s commitment to reduce obesity – came into force as planned. These will mean less healthy products are no longer promoted in key locations, such as checkouts, store entrances, aisle ends and their online equivalents.

Further guidance can be found at Gov.uk 

10. Offensive Weapons Act 2019. The provisions of this Act commenced on the 6 April 2022.  The provisions include the implementation of new criminal offences for selling corrosive substances to those under 18, possessing a corrosive substance in a public place and in relation to bladed articles. 

11. The Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021 C19 came into force on the 1 October 2021. The Act means that a “business owner” commits an offence if in the course of the business owner's business— a person other than an approved person administers, in England, to another person (“A”)— (i) botulinum toxin, or (ii) a subcutaneous, submucous or intradermal injection of a filler for a cosmetic purpose, where A is under the age of 18. To access the guidance go to Gov.uk

12. The Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020 No. 1095). legislates to now make: 

• Sales of bagged traditional house coal and wet wood in units under 2m3 unlawful.
• Wet wood in larger volumes must be sold with advice on how to dry it before burning.
• All manufactured solid fuels must now have a low sulphur content and only emit a small amount of smoke.
• In addition, a new certification scheme will see products certified and labelled by suppliers to ensure that they can be easily identified, and retail outlets will only able to sell fuel that is accompanied by the correct label.

 For further related guidance go to Gov.uk

13. The Environmental Protection (Plastic Straws, Cotton Buds and Stirrers) (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020 No. 971)

These Regulations, which apply in relation to England, prohibit persons from supplying or offering to supply certain plastic items in the course of a business. The prohibitions now apply, except for the prohibition of the supply of drinks products with single-use plastic straws attached to their packaging, which applies from 3 July 2021.

Part 2 prohibits the supply of single-use plastic straws to an end user, subject to certain exceptions. The exceptions include the supply of straws by registered pharmacies, the supply of straws by a catering establishment together with food or drink for immediate consumption, and the supply of straws which are medical devices or are for use for medical purposes. Part 2 also prohibits the supply of drinks products with single-use plastic straws attached to their packaging, subject to an exception for medical purposes.

Part 3 prohibits the supply of single-use plastic stemmed cotton buds to an end user, other than for medical, forensic or scientific purposes.

Part 4 prohibits the supply of plastic drink stirrers.

To see the Government guidance on the new Regulations go to Gov.uk.

14. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 SI 2019 No.1093, (known as "Lucy's Law" see Gov.uk) was implemented on the 6 April 2020.

Regulation 2 amends a licence condition relating to the activity of selling animals as pets (or with a view to being resold as pets). The amendment precludes the sale of puppies and kittens bred by anyone other than the licence holder. Regulation 3 makes transitional provision for existing licences to be treated, in relation to sales made on or after 6 April 2020, as subject to a condition in the terms set out in regulation 2.

15. The Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019 SI 2019 No.1218. Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) food needs to have a label with a full ingredients list with allergenic ingredients emphasised within it. For more information go to the FSA website. 

16. Tenant Fees Act 2019. This Act came into force on the 1 June 2019.

The only payments that landlords can charge in connection with a tenancy are:

• the rent
• a refundable tenancy deposit capped at no more than five week's rent where the annual rent is less than £50,000, or six weeks rent where the total annual rent is £50,000 or above
• a refundable holding deposit (to reserve a property) capped at no more than one week's rent
• payments to change the tenancy when requested by the tenant, capped at £50, or reasonable costs incurred if higher
• payments associated with early termination of the tenancy, when requested by the tenant
• payments in respect of utilities, communication services, TV licence and council tax; and
• A default payment for late payment of rent and replacement of a lost key/security device, where required under a tenancy agreement.

All other fees are now prohibited payments and are not legal. Go to Guidance for the private rented sector 

Newsletter

The service aims to publish a newsletter on a bi-annual basis. To access a copy of our newsletter go to High Standard (pdf 1.5 mb). 

Contact

Trading Standards service, Directorate of City Operations, Neighbourhoods and Regulatory Services, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH. Email: tradingstandards@newcastle.gov.uk