Just what is meant by a Primary Authority Register?
Three words, fairly simple ones, but when placed together, the can cause some head scratching – particularly if you’re not in this industry.
Primary generally means first or young, as in primary school or primary elections; authority has two meanings – knowing something well, and, less positively perhaps, the state of being in charge. Whilst register as a noun is typically associated with record keeping – like form time in schools, when a register of names is read ritually twice a day.
Primary Authority Register does contain elements of all three words when singular but collectively, the government defines it as:
Primary Authority is a means for businesses to receive assured and tailored advice on meeting environmental health, trading standards or fire safety regulations through a single point of contact. This ensures start-ups get it right at the outset and enables all businesses to invest with confidence in products, practices and procedures, knowing that the resources they devote to compliance are well spent.
Definitions can be cloudy though so we think it’s worth looking at this further with examples
Primary Authority is actually a fairly recent phenomenon – it was established in 2009, the year when “I gotta feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas was the top-selling single, which may now make 2009 seem an age ago. It was also the year David Beckham got his last cap in an England shirt – but enough nostalgia!
Let’s refocus on Primary Authority Register
Primary Authority can best be seen as a triangulation – between businesses, regulators and citizens (or consumers).
The Primary Authority Register connects all three:
The Primary Authority Register is the secure online service that supports the operation of the scheme. It contains details on every partnership, provides a forum for communications, and allows primary authorities to make important documents and business information readily available to local regulators.
Regulators vary, though often take the form of trading standards, environmental health and fire safety officers.
Businesses can then partner with a local authority for advice on how to comply with trading standards, environmental health and fire safety legislation.
How is the Primary Authority Register accessed?
Online. You have to form a partnership and details on how to do this are here.
Primary Authority partnerships are available to any type of business, whether it is established or just starting out.
Primary Authority covers the areas of:
- environmental health
- trading standards
- fire safety
- licensing
- petrol storage certification
- explosives licensing
Local authorities can provide Primary Authority services to businesses for all the regulatory areas within their remit that are not already covered by another primary authority.
So how do we fit in?
DSL Consulting is ably led by David Lovell, who has a proven track record of working and collaborating with businesses, local and national regulators and professional bodies both domestically and internationally.
Additionally, he is also a qualified trading standards officer leading cross functional regulatory teams to deliver successful engagement with public and private sector stakeholders.
If you’d like to know more about how DSL Consulting can help you, call or email us today.
