Home Authority Principle

The Home Authority Principle (HAP) allows local authorities to work with a business to provide consistent and coordinated trading standards and food enforcement services across the UK. It assists those businesses that have outlets in more than one local authority and distribute goods and/or services beyond the boundaries of one local authority. LACORS has developed a leaflet aimed at businesses, explaining the benefits of the Home Authority Principle. This can be found here.

The Home Authority Principle helps effective communication between authorities and businesses and ensures the consistent application of legislation and advice. The Principle provides a single point of contact for businesses to access local authority experience and advice and creates a more coordinated approach to business locally and nationally. The application of HAP encourages good enforcement practices and is also effective in minimising duplication and reducing public expenditure. Further information for local authorities is available here.

LACORS supports and acts as a steward of the Home Authority Principle by providing framework advice and guidance on its operation, monitoring its use and where possible resolving disputes. LACORS also hosts the Home Authority Database. Home authorities can and should keep up to date contact information on this Database for use by other authorities only.

LACORS also provides the Secretariat for the Home Authority Principle Advisory Panel. This Panel, whose members includes government, trade and consumer representatives, meets regularly to provide advice to help LACORS oversee the strategic management and practical delivery of the Principle and also promotes the Principle to key stakeholders.

In providing a way for local authorities to work effectively in partnership together with businesses to deliver robust and consistent enforcement and advice services across the UK, the Home Authority Principle is widely recognised and supported by local authority food and trading standards services and by Government departments and by trade bodies.

If you are interested in finding out your relevant Home Authority, please contact Charlotte Meller on 020 7665 3870 or Donna Sidwell on 020 7665 3856