IBVTA welcomes £10m funding boost to Trading Standards

Yesterday, March 23rd, the Government announced a new £10 million boost for Trading Standards which will bolster operations in local communities for the next year, including funding an expected 80 more apprentice enforcement officers.

This newly announced funding builds on other measures to tackle illicit tobacco and vapes. These include HMRC and Border Force’s £100 million Illicit Tobacco Strategy to crack down on illegal tobacco, and the new vaping duty coming into force in 2026 which will introduce new civil and criminal powers, giving them the ability to seize products and recruit over 200 additional compliance staff.

John Herriman, Chief Executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), said: “CTSI is very welcoming of the announcement of substantial funding for Trading Standards services across England. This much-needed investment will strengthen our ability to support businesses in complying with current and future tobacco and vaping regulations and will also ensure we are well placed to support the protection of public health.

It also reinforces our commitment to taking firm action against anyone who seeks to harm their local communities by choosing to operate outside the law. With these additional resources, we can make a real difference in both keeping consumers safe, and ensuring a fair and responsible marketplace.”

Chief Executive of the IBVTA, Gillian Golden, said: “We applaud the announcement of this much needed investment in strengthening the Trading Standards workforce. Local authorities have seen successive funding cuts from central government alongside significant rising financial pressures. The IBVTA applauds the work by trading standards teams across the country to level the playing field for legitimate businesses.

We also support the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in giving more powers to Trading Standards, and we hope this funding injection will be replicated across other UK nations soon.”