Primary Authority (PA), run by the Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO), provides companies with reliable and consistent regulatory advice from a single source – the Primary Authority – when dealing with key aspects of environmental health, trading standards and licensing services. Government estimates suggest the scheme could eventually save business across the UK up to £50 million a year.
Councillor Mick Murphy, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said:
“Our Trading Standards team has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Boots over the years and welcome this opportunity to be able to build upon that in the future by signing up to a Primary Authority agreement.
“The arrangement will allow us to continue to provide support and advice to Boots, a major company in the county, on complying with Trading Standards regulations.”
LBRO Chair Clive Grace said:
“Businesses like Boots invest hugely in compliance. They want the confidence that their investment won’t be challenged by one local authority once it’s agreed by another. Primary Authority delivers this assurance. We have built PA on sound foundations. Boots and Nottinghamshire can rely on them in using the scheme to their advantage and that of their customers and communities.”
Primary Authority is available to all businesses, regardless of size, which operate across two or more council boundaries including small and medium-sized enterprises which trade over the internet.
For businesses a primary authority partnership will mean consistency of local inspection and enforcement activity. Currently businesses can run the risk of prosecution even if they follow official advice if local inspectors disagree about how to interpret regulations. This lack of consistency can also result in discrepancies in protection for consumers, workers and the environment.
For local authorities primary authority will provide the opportunity to influence compliance nationally via the primary authority giving advice to its partner business as well as saving other local authorities resources by allowing them to focus inspection activity where it is most needed.
