Cover letter (accessible)
Published 10 April 2024
Applies to England and Wales
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offensive-weapons-act-2019-section-31-grant-to-trading-standards/cover-letter-accessible
Head of Firearms & Weapons Policy Unit
Home Office
5th Floor, NW Quarter
Fry Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Relevant Local Authority Chief Executives in England and Wales
Sent by email only
18 March 2024
Dear Local Authority Chief Executive,
S31 GRANT DETERMINATION LETTER – OFFENSIVE WEAPONS ACT 2019 TRADING STANDARDS COSTS FOR CORROSIVE PRODUCTS SALES AND DELIVERY PROVISIONS (2022/03 AND 2023/24) [No 31/7142]
This Determination is made between:
(1) The Secretary of State for the Home Department, and
(2) The local authorities listed in Annex A
Purpose of the Grant
The purpose of this grant is to provide support to local authorities in England and Wales to meet the new burdens and additional costs incurred by their Trading Standards Authorities through commencement of the sales and delivery provisions relating to corrosive products within the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.
The provisions within the Act prohibit the sale and delivery of corrosive products to under 18s, prohibit delivery to residential premises and lockers in the case of remote sales and an offence of delivering a corrosive product to under 18s on delivery companies in the case of overseas sellers. These prohibitions were commenced in April 2022.
Local Authority Trading Standards are the enforcing agency for these provisions and the funding being provided is to meet the costs of the additional burdens which these provisions have imposed. The funding is intended to meet the costs of activities such as awareness raising and compliance visits, conducting regular test purchasing operations and follow-up actions, investigations and prosecutions of any retailers or delivery companies who fail any test purchasing operations.
The Section 31 grant being provided covers both 2022/23 and 2023/24. This is a non-ring fenced grant to those local authorities with responsibility for the operation of Trading Standards Authorities in England and Wales. Annex A provides details of payments being made to the relevant local authorities.
The expectation is that the Home Office will provide funding for 2024/25 through a further Section 31 grant subject to approval by Home Office Ministers, HM Treasury and with the agreement of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
If you have any queries relating to this Section 31 grant then please contact the relevant policy lead Simon Eglington in the first instance simon.eglington@homeoffice.gov.uk
I would be grateful if this letter is copied to your Chief Finance Officer for their information.
A copy of this letter has also been sent to the Section31 Grant Team in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and HM Treasury.
Yours sincerely,
Nick Hunt
Head of Firearms & Weapons Policy Unit