Trading Standards Staffing and Capacity
Case reference FOI2026/01225
Received 27 May 2026
Published 11 June 2026
Request
I would like to submit the following Freedom of Information request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relating to your council’s trading standards service.
1. The total number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff employed in your trading standards service as of 1 April 2026, and the equivalent figures for 1 April 2015 and 1 April 2010.
2. Of your current FTE, how many are:
a. Qualified or accredited trading standards officers with full enforcement powers;
b. Trainees or apprentices currently in training;
c. Administrative or support staff without frontline enforcement responsibilities?
3. Has your council received, or been formally allocated, any share of the UK Government's announced £10 million per year investment in trading standards linked to the High Streets task force and the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026? If yes, please state:
a. The amount received or allocated;
b. The number of new posts it will fund;
c. Whether any of those posts are apprenticeships.
4. Does your council currently have sufficient qualified supervisors in your trading standards service to supervise and sign off the work of new apprentice officers?
5. How many retail premises in your council area do you estimate will fall within scope of the retail licensing scheme introduced by the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, requiring registration or inspection by your trading standards service?
6. Has your council produced any estimate of the number of additional trading standards FTE required to fulfil its enforcement duties under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, including the new retail licensing scheme?
Response
I would like to submit the following Freedom of Information request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relating to your council’s trading standards service.
1. The total number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff employed in your trading standards service as of 1 April 2026, and the equivalent figures for 1 April 2015 and 1 April 2010.
Answer: Please see the table below for employed FTE staff.
Please be advised we cannot provide the information for 1 April 2010 as our records are only held from 1 April 2011. We have therefore provided the requested information for 1 April 2011, 1 April 2015 and 1 April 2026.
|
1 April 2011 |
11.41 FTE |
|
|
1 April 2015 |
8.81* FTE |
(Please be advised there were also 2 vacant positions at this time.) |
|
1 April 2026 |
8.4* FTE |
|
*Please be advised, some of the FTE staff employed as of 1 April 2015 and 1 April 2026 had/have responsibilities for multiple areas as well as Trading Standards.
2. Of your current FTE, how many are:
a. Qualified or accredited trading standards officers with full enforcement powers;
Answer: 6.
b. Trainees or apprentices currently in training;
Answer: 2.
c. Administrative or support staff without frontline enforcement responsibilities?
Answer: 0.
3. Has your council received, or been formally allocated, any share of the UK Government's announced £10 million per year investment in trading standards linked to the High Streets task force and the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026? If yes, please state:
a. The amount received or allocated;
Answer: £42,501.06 for 2025/26.
b. The number of new posts it will fund;
Answer: 1.
c. Whether any of those posts are apprenticeships.
Answer: 1 (until 28/29).
4. Does your council currently have sufficient qualified supervisors in your trading standards service to supervise and sign off the work of new apprentice officers?
Answer: Yes.
5. How many retail premises in your council area do you estimate will fall within scope of the retail licensing scheme introduced by the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, requiring registration or inspection by your trading standards service?
Answer: This information is not held. The Service Area have advised the consultation on proposed licensing has not yet been issued so the final picture of which premises will be covered, which local authority is responsible for the scheme, and expectations of associated work, are unknown at this time.
6. Has your council produced any estimate of the number of additional trading standards FTE required to fulfil its enforcement duties under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, including the new retail licensing scheme?
Answer: No.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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