Late Consultation About New Powers
Inspection Powers
Office of Fair Trading Press Release
10 January 2007
The OFT is consulting on its draft Guidance about new on-site
inspection powers which came into force on 8 January 2007. The
new on-site inspection powers can be used if there is a reasonable
suspicion that a business is or has been breaching European
consumer protection law, and to investigate whether a business is
or has been failing to comply with an enforcement order. These
powers can be used without advance warning provided a warrant has
been obtained from a Magistrates court. If an inspection is
conducted without a warrant, then the business must be given at
least two days' notice. These powers can be used by a number of
public bodies including the OFT and Local Authority Trading
Standards Service.