News Adam Scorer, CTSI’s director of policy Product safety: first clear signals The government’s Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety has set out its recommendations for improving the UK’s product-safety system. Established in October 2016 by Consumer Minister Margot James, the working group’s aim was to explore and build on the recommendations made by Lynn Faulds Wood in her independent review into consumer product recalls. Adam Scorer, director of policy at CTSI, said: ‘We are getting the rst clear signals from government that it is prepared to look at more radical reforms to consumer protection in this area. In particular, we welcome a new focus on building the framework for a national body on product safety. ‘We would undoubtedly want things to move more quickly, but we are more concerned that they move in the right direction.’ CTSI has urged the government to commit to: • A central web portal so consumers, retailers and others have a single, authoritative source of information on product recalls, corrective actions and other safety alerts • A national body that can deploy technical skills and expertise in product safety, to support trading standards of cers carrying out forensic market surveillance • Reorganising trading standards functions, so that non-local, strategic issues are delivered on a regional or national basis, rather than remain the responsibility of more than 200 local authorities ‘Things are moving quickly in the aftermath of Grenfell,’ said Scorer. ‘That is right and proper. But we are prepared to wait a little longer so that government can settle on a truly radical transformation of our product-safety regime.’ The working group – led by Neil Gibbins, chief executive of the Institution of Fire Engineers and former deputy chief re of cer – provided interim recommendations in December 2016, and embarked on a programme of work to improve the recall system. Its report, which outlined progress made by the working group in the past six months, was received by the minister in April, and the government will formally respond in the autumn. Electrical safety call for tower blocks UK charity Electrical Safety First (ESF) has called on the government to provide more protection against electrical re risks in tower blocks. Last year, 1,873 res in England were caused by domestic electrical white goods, such as dishwashers and fridge freezers – the equivalent of more than ve blazes per day. After con rmation from the Metropolitan Police that a fridge freezer was the cause of ignition at Grenfell Tower, ESF wants the government to offer free, mandatory electrical checks for homes in tower blocks. ESF has written to the minister responsible – Margot James – calling for a new policy to ensure that: • Housing associations and local authorities have a legal responsibility to ensure free, mandatory electrical safety checks are carried out on properties, to include xed electrical installations and individual appliances • Housing associations and local authorities keep a register of white goods being operated in blocks, regardless of the tenure of the property, and ensure tenants have registered their products UK policy currently states that there is an ‘expectation’ on landlords to keep electrical installations safe. On this basis, electrics and appliances contained within social-rented properties could go unchecked for many years and remain dangerous until action is taken. Martyn Allen, technical director at ESF, said: ‘We believe that, rst and foremost, those living in densely populated areas such as tower blocks must be protected. As a result, we would like to see government implement mandatory safety checks as a matter of urgency.’ ESF has launched a new microsite to advise all consumers on white-goods safety. Waitrose first supermarket to launch Primary Authority Network A new Primary Authority Network for trading standards’ matters has been launched by Waitrose – a rst for the UK supermarket industry. Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards will continue to act as the retailer’s Primary Authority (PA) , but will now work alongside Inverclyde Council (Scotland) and Shared Regulatory Services (Wales), which will bring expertise on devolved matters to the network. This new network will enable intelligence and expertise – on matters such as consumer regulation and food labelling – to be shared more ef ciently between all parties. It is hoped that this will create greater consistency across the areas in which Waitrose trades. James Brodhurst-Brown, Waitrose’s manager, regulatory affairs and trading law, said: ‘We have worked hard with the different authorities involved to establish this pioneering initiative.’ Waitrose has pursued this course of action because it found it was taking assured advice from its PA before launching something, and then nding the regulations in other parts of the UK were different – for example, legislation on tobacco in Scotland differs from that in England. To avoid this in future, Buckinghamshire and Surrey TS – as Waitrose’s PA – now liaises with its partner services in Scotland and Wales to ensure it gives ‘harmonised’ guidance to the supermarket, enabling PA to remain ‘a one-stop solution’. Brodhurst-Brown described this way of working with the devolved nations as ‘a bit like a miniature EU’. Michele Manson, business development team manager at Buckinghamshire and Surrey TS, added: ‘We are enthusiastic about working with our regulatory colleagues; creating this network helps ensure that we provide Waitrose with the best possible support and advice, which is locally relevant to each and every store.’ Put services at front of funding queue, says lGa Securing the financial sustainability of councils and vital local services must be top priority for the new Conservative administration, according to the local government leader. Lord Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA), told council leaders, councillors and ministers at its annual conference in Birmingham to demand that local authorities are at the ‘front of the queue’ for new funding if ‘austerity is coming to an end’. A new LGA report, Growing Places, sets out how – with fairer funding and freedom from central government – councils can build affordable homes, create jobs and school places, offer dignified care for the elderly and disabled, and boost economic growth. Lord Porter said: ‘Every penny in local taxation collected locally must be kept by local government and spent on our public services. ‘The cap on council tax also needs to be lifted to ensure new money can be raised locally and spent locally.’ europe-wide police operation smashes horsemeat racket A Spanish-led police operation has broken up a fraudulent scheme trading in horsemeat unfit for human consumption, the EU’s police agency, Europol, says. Police in Spain made 65 arrests for crimes including animal abuse, forgery, money laundering and racketeering. Horses in Portugal and Spain deemed unfit for consumption were slaughtered and their meat passed off as edible. An unnamed Dutch businessman, arrested in Belgium, is said to have controlled the illegal trade from south-east Spain. Spain’s Guardia Civil (police) began Operation Gazel a year ago, after detecting unusual behaviour in horsemeat markets. They worked with Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and the UK, Europol said in a statement. Police carried out raids in Alicante and León, in the north of Spain, blocking or seizing bank accounts and properties, and confiscating five luxury cars. Istock.com / marco rosarIo VenturInI autIerI Istock.com / lolostock