Our traditional method of assessing business compliance is to make routine visits to trade premises.  We are exploring alternatives and have piloted a postal questionnaire in one of the Borough's wards aimed at what we considered to be low risk traders which is permitting a degree of self-regulation.

We were pleased with the results obtained and the positive feedback received from the majority of traders who responded. We intend to roll out this scheme to the rest of the Borough over the next few years. It will be more efficient to do this electronically with as many businesses as possible.

This method is not appropriate for all businesses and we propose it can only be used to identify, through the use of the questionnaire, those traders who pose little risk of breaching consumer protection legislation. These low risk businesses can be regarded by us as low priority in terms of requiring an on site inspection. 

It is also hoped that by completing the questionaire less of your time is taken up than dealing with a personal inspection visit.

The questionnaire must be completed by the owner of the business or by someone of authority within the Company. If you would prefer a personal visit please contact us to let us know.

Data Protection Act - The information will be held on our secure computer system and will be used only for the purposes outlined above.  The information will not be made available to anyone else. We may however wish to contact you to clarify any issue you have raised.

Inspections visits will still be programmed for those businesses who chose not to respond to the questionnaire and also to a sample of businesses responding for reality checks.

The questionnaire is general in nature and therefore it is recognised that you can only provide information relevant to your business. It is important, so we can maintain up to date records, that the section relating name and address and where appropriate email and website addresses is completed.