To consider the submitted report on a proposal to transfer the Trading Standards Service to Devon County Council to join the existing Devon and Somerset Trading Standards Partnership.

The Policy Development and Decision Group (Joint Operations Team) made the following (unanimous) recommendation to the Mayor:

(i)       that the Trading Standards Service be transferred to Devon County Council from the 1 April 2017 (or as soon as practicable afterwards) with the Assistant Director (Community and Customer Services) being given delegated authority to give effect to the transfer; and

(ii)      that the Chief Executive be recommended to appoint the Assistant Director (Community and Customer Services) and the Executive Lead for Environment as the Council’s representatives on the Devon and Somerset Trading Standards Partnership Board in accordance with paragraph 1.21 of the Officer Scheme of Delegation.

The Mayor considered the recommendations of the Policy Development and Decision Group (Joint Operations Team) set out above at the meeting and the record of his decision, together with further information is attached to these Minutes.