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Street Trading

Asked by Sarah DykeLiberal DemocratDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 4 June 2026UIN 3910

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with local police forces on ensuring that goods sold by pedlars comply with safety standards, including requirements for CE and UKCA marking.

Answered by Kate Dearden

Under the UK’s product safety framework, anyone who distributes consumer products in a commercial capacity, including pedlars, has a duty not to supply products that they know, or should be aware, are unsafe or non-compliant. Local authorities, rather than the police, enforce product safety regulations at a local level. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, as national regulator, works with local authorities providing the tools they need to ensure business comply with the law, keeping consumers safe.

Pedlars must have a licence to operate and are also subject to relevant provisions in the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.

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