Primary Authority

Funeral Plan Market is proud to have been accepted for a Primary Authority relationship with West Yorkshire Trading Standards service.

Primary Authority is a statutory scheme, established by the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008. It allows an eligible business to form a legally recognised partnership with a single local authority in relation to regulatory compliance. This local authority is then known as its ‘primary authority’.

Primary authorities play a valuable role in leading and shaping the regulation of businesses that partner with them. In doing so, they deliver benefits for the regulatory system as a whole, for the businesses they partner with, and for those that the regulations are designed to protect – consumers, workers and the environment.

Primary Authority was launched in 2009 to make the local regulation of businesses operating at multiple premises across the UK more consistent. Primary Authority enables businesses to be provided with assured and tailored advice on complying with environmental health, trading standards or fire safety regulations that other local regulators must respect.

Primary Authority is administered by Regulatory Delivery, which is part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Regulatory Delivery works to ensure that the way regulation is enforced is proportionate and risk-based, delivering existing functions such as Primary Authority, legal metrology and hallmarking policy, technical regulation and enforcement work.

Regulatory Delivery exercises the statutory responsibility for the operation of Primary Authority on behalf of the Secretary of State, nominating partnerships, issuing guidance and resolving determinations. It also manages the Primary Authority Register.

The benefits of Primary authority to customers are that they:

• are better protected as businesses find it easier to comply with legislation
• are at reduced risk as local authorities better understand the businesses they regulate and can target resources on high-risk areas

Businesses must ensure all products placed on the market are ‘safe’. Through its work with a business or businesses, and with enforcing authorities, a primary authority can actively support improvements in compliance ensuring better protection for consumers, workers and the environment.

Funeral Plan Market is listed on the Primary Authority Register, to view the register please Click Here.

Funeral Plan Market is currently the only funeral plan service to have a Primary Authority relationship.