Issue - meetings

This report informs Members of an initiative by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) to establish regional trading standards ‘Scambuster Teams’ to tackle cross boundary rogue trading and advises Members that City of York Council were successful in their bid to attract approximately £750k of grant funding over 3 years to establish and host a scambusting team on behalf of the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to note the contents of the report.

Decision of the Executive Member:

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To make Members aware of the establishment of the Regional Scambuster Team, with York as the host authority.

Members received a report informing them of an initiative by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) to establish regional trading standards ‘Scambuster Teams’ to tackle cross boundary rogue trading. The report also informed Members that that City of York Council were successful in their bid to attract approximately £750k of grant funding over 3 years to establish and host a scambusting team on behalf of the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

Members raised the point that not all scam threats were local or regional but could be national or international and enquired as to how the team would deal with these levels of treats. The Assistant Director (Neighbourhoods and Community Safety) explained that the Regional Scambuster Team was able to deal with level 2 threats whereas any level 3 threats would be dealt with by the National Team and level 1 threats could be dealt with by the local authority. A referrals process up and down the hierarchy was in place.

Members queried what would happen to the team at the end of the 3 year period covered by the grant. The Assistant Director (Neighbourhoods and Community Safety)  stated that performance reporting mechanisms were in place and if the activity of the scambusting team could be shown to be financially effective, in that the money taken out of criminality was greater than the cost of the teams, then there was the hope that the teams could continue to be funded after the initial 3 years.

Members congratulated officers in their success in the bid made by City of York Council on behalf of the Yorkshire and the Humber Trading Standards Group.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to note the contents of the report.

Decision of the Executive Member:

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To make Members aware of the establishment of the Regional Scambuster Team, with York as the host authority.