News Whirlpool criticised by product safety committee The manufacturer Whirlpool came under fire for being unable to answer key questions over its handling of the faulty tumble dryer fiasco when it appeared before a government committee at the end of October. MPs on the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee on Safety of Electrical Goods were critical of the company for sending a communications representative in place of the managing director, who was unable to attend because of other commitments, and queried the companys insistence that safety was its priority. Whirlpool told the committee that it estimates one million of its faulty tumble dryers are still being used across the UK, and that it has repaired only about half of the potentially deadly appliances since the scandal broke in 2015. It said it had taken action in line with advice offered by its Primary Authority service. The Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA), Which?, National Fire Chiefs Council, and CTSI also gave evidence to the committee. CTSIs chief executive Leon Livermore reinforced CTSIs urgent call for a national coordinated body for product safety, telling thecommittee that the current product safety system is no longer fit forpurpose. Under the current system, market surveillance is conducted by local trading standards teams, many of which have been reduced to as few as two officers for a whole authority. With resources stretched to breaking point, the risk of unsafe, potentially dangerous products entering the marketplace rises, he said. Livermore expressed frustration that, three years on from the government report led by Lynn Faulds Wood into product safety and recalls which recommended a central expert agency be created and called for an urgent look at local trading standards no action had beentaken. He also backed the London Fire Brigades call for a ban on plasticbacked fridges, adding: I think it shows theres a weakness in the standards system that this has been called for over a number of years, and the standards process hasnt been able to adapt and respond to that. no extra money for trading standards in Autumn Budget New analysis by the LGA published before the 22 November budget showed the strain being placed on council funds as a result of the rising demand for adult social care and childrens services. Almost 60p in every 1 up from 41p in 2010/11 of council tax may have to be spent caring for children and adults by 2020, increasingly leaving less to fund services such as trading standards. Government plans to allow local authorities to keep all of their business rates income by the end of the decade are now in doubt after the Local Government Finance Bill was not reintroduced in the Queens Speech. ISToCk.Com / SAnDSun The Autumn Budget offered very little to ease the crisis in local authorities, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). There were no measures to address the priorities of councils on the Fair Funding Review, business rates retention, the future of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and social care. One third of test purchases for vapes result in underage sales CTSIs fifth annual Tobacco Control Survey has shown that almost one third of test purchases for nicotine inhaling products (NIPs) continue to result in underage sales. The report was commissioned by the Department of Health and looked at tobacco-related activity by trading standards services in England between April 2016 and March 2017. Test purchases conducted by trading standards working with underage volunteers targeted tobacco NIPs, such as e-liquids and e-cigarettes. They found that illegal underage sales of NIPs have fallen in the past year from 36 per cent in 2015/2016 to 31 per cent in 2016/17. Underage sales of tobacco remain the same as the previous year, however, at 10 per cent. Jane MacGregor, tobacco control consultant for CTSI, expressed concerns over the comparatively high level of underage NIPs sales: Theres been a steady decline in underage tobacco sales over many years. Theres a long history of work in this area. While its encouraging to see the number of illegal sales [of e-liquids and e-cigarettes drop, with dwindling resources for trading standards services, theres a genuine worry as to how long its going to take to get underage sales down to the same level as tobacco. Of the 96 per cent of councils in England that responded to the survey: 93 per cent had undertaken activities related to illicit tobacco products 84 per cent had carried out tasks related to underage sales of tobaccoproducts 74 per cent had done work on underage sales of nicotine inhaling products (NIPs) 66 per cent had undertaken activities related to the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRP) 56 per cent had investigated the display and pricing of tobacco products 30 per cent had done work on the Standardised Packaging of TobaccoProducts Regulations 2015 (SPoT) 96 per cent were doing at least one type of tobacco-control activity eSF disappointed by government report Consumer group Electrical Safety First (ESF) has hit out after the governments report into electrical safety in the private rented sector was published last month. ESF is disappointed that the report does not commit to introducing mandatory five-yearly checks on electrical installations in privately rented homes something for which ESF has long been campaigning. ESF was informed that the publication of the report will now enable wider engagement to take place with the sector to test the recommendations, particularly in light of lessons learned at Grenfell. Phil Buckle, chief executive of ESF, said: The tragic fire at Grenfell Tower made it clear that more has to be done to protect people who are living in rented accommodation. Without regular mandatory checks, ESF believes the number of fires caused by electricity in the private rented sector will only get worse. Council staff face more cuts Northamptonshire County Council has confirmed that staff have been told they must take a days unpaid leave before the end of the financial year as part of the councils plans to save 2m a month. This is in addition to 9.6m of savings the council is currently consulting on, which includes axing jobs in trading standards, cutting subsidised bus fares and closing libraries.