Trading standards are responsible for monitoring and investigating animal health and welfare of livestock (particularly at markets and during transport) within the council area, ensuring animals are treated correctly and not caused unnecessary suffering.

Local authorities inspect farms and land to: prevent outbreaks of animal disease, prevent environmental pollution, check farmers comply with regulations, provide advice at the request of farmers and to investigate complaints

All traders who intend to store mixed explosives must be registered on an annual basis. This includes car dealers/garages who deal with air bags.

The aim of fair trading is to ensure truthfulness of trade and prevent consumers being misled during contractual negotiations for goods and services. This legislation covers a wide area of consumer protection law including the selling of counterfeit goods.

Registration with the local authority of all businesses that make, use or market animal feeds (including farms but excluding pet food retailers). Businesses already registered with other official schemes do not need to make a new registration.

A licence is required to hold or sell fireworks in any premises. The local authority (often jointly with local fire services) inspect premises to ensure that safety conditions are met prior to issuing a licence.

A local authority trading standards department will provide information on general labelling of pre-packed food. They will ensure that any legislation on food labelling is complied with by manufacturers and suppliers.

The trading standards service has an important role in supporting and advising businesses, as well as cracking down on unsafe products and unscrupulous traders. The local trading standards team ensure that traders (and the products they sell) comply with the requirements of all relevant legislation.

Public weighbridges are available for use by businesses or the general public for the weighing of vehicles and objects where determination of a specific weight/load is important, including ensuring that vehicles are not overloaded. Public weighbridges may be provided by the council or they may provide information on privately operated weighbridges in the area.

This service aims to ensure that any retailer operating in the area is confident that they can do so in the knowledge that they are operating in a fair, safe and equitable trading environment.

Trader approval schemes aim to improve business standards and increase customer confidence in member businesses in the local area. Approved businesses have agreed to abide by the terms and conditions of the scheme and have been checked by Trading Standards to ensure compliance. Schemes operated in the UK include 'Buy with confidence'.

Trading standards provides advice and information to local traders to help ensure they comply with trading standards legislation. Routine visits are usually carried out to most local traders.

Trading Standards deal with under-age sales of some products (such as tobacco, fireworks and videos) and work with the Police to deal with under-age alcohol sales.

Trading Standards are required to ensure that all goods sold are correctly weighed and measured in accordance with current legislation. This is done by checking the accuracy of weighing/measuring equipment regularly, checking goods in stock are of the correct weight, investigating complaints of short measure.