ROUND-UP decide what sentence to impose on an offender – so make sure your voice is heard in the criminal justice process! BE ALERT TO SCAMS TSBN frequently reports on scams of which businesses and their owners should be aware – for example, online, invoicing and business rates reduction scams. More information can be found in the Metropolitan Police’s Little Book of Big Scams. Make your voice heard The Ministry of Justice has issued new guidance on making an impact statement if your business has been the target of crime. Many business owners feel the legal system doesn’t always reflect the loss they have suffered, and that court cases often don’t show the real impact a crime can have on a company, its operation and its staff. The way in which you can do this is through an Impact Statement for Business. All victims of crime – including businesses and enterprises, whether they are ‘not for profit’ or otherwise – are entitled to make a statement to set out how an offence has affected them. Criminal justice organisations in England and Wales – which include your local Trading Standards and Environmental Health teams – must provide services set out in the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime. BUSINESS MATTERS Trading Standards is committed to making it easier for businesses to comply with the law – and Trading Standards Business News (TSBN) is one of the ways it is doing just that. Formerly called Trading Standards News, this publication focuses on topics that are relevant to people running businesses, and aims to help them operate safely and efficiently while staying within the law. If you are viewing this edition on a web browser, you can download the TSBN app for Apple, Android and Amazon devices. For further information please contact your local Trading Standards Service The contents of an impact statement can be taken into account by the courts when they Credit: Nigel Durnford, Food and Farming Compliance iStock.com / PeopleImages SUMMER 2019 ROUND-UP