Meeting of the Parliament 18 March 2026 [Draft]
I declare an interest as a former trading standards officer.
We are all devastated by the fire that took place on 8 March on Union Street in Glasgow, yet it turns out that the shop where the fire began was not listed on the mandatory register, as is required for a business to sell nicotine products, and was thus selling vapes illegally.
After years of cuts, there are only about 250 full-time equivalent trading standards officers in councils across Scotland, with the number having reduced by more than half since 2002. At the same time, 22 of Scotland’s 32 councils now operate with eight or fewer trading standards officers. That puts not only consumers but the general public at risk. Does the minister agree that it is impossible to have effective law on licensing if there are no trading standards officers to enforce the law?