 The partnership is statutory
 Primary Authority Advice can be provided on issues of legal interpretation or applicability, and on the business’ compliance control systems
 Enforcement action must be notified to the primary authority, except in a few defined circumstances, and the primary authority can direct against proposed action if it is inconsistent with Primary Authority Advice that has been given
 Information can be communicated to all local regulators via the secure area of the
Primary Authority Register, improving their understanding of the business
 The business can access their own partnership pages in the secure area of the
Primary Authority Register but cannot see information about other partnerships
 An inspection plan can be used to improve the focus of local inspection activity, including programmed inspections, test purchases and sampling visits, and to provide better feedback to the partnership
 There is scope to fund the work of the primary authority through cost recovery, allowing it to supplement its capacity to provide support
 What is the scale of the business in terms of geographic spread, number of premises/ employees/ product lines?
 How does the business operate? Will the partnership cover a single legal entity/ regulated person, or several?
 What does the business want from the partnership? Is it looking for intensive, ongoing support, or an occasional source of advice?
 What does it anticipate the key benefits to be?
 ess?
 What is its compliance history? Are there any outstanding enforcement actions?
 What categories of local regulation will be covered? (see the List of Primary Authority
Categories )
 What level of interaction does the business currently have with local regulators in terms of compliance checks, samples, requests for information or investigations?
 What is the likely level of enquiries to the primary authority from enforcing authorities?
 there be in terms of their level of expertise?
 l the partnership be resourced? expectations will
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 Where does the business currently obtain regulatory advice?
 What are its advice needs and how should these be prioritised? Is there a need to review previous advice received by the business and to agree whether this should be re-issued as Primary Authority Advice?
 What practical arrangements will be agreed for the provision of Primary Authority
Advice? For example, who can request advice on behalf of the business; who can provide Primary Authority Advice; and, how will it be provided? (see Primary Authority
Handbook , Module 5.2)
 How will both parties be clear that Primary Authority Advice is being provided?
 How will Primary Authority Advice be recorded?
 How will the partnership ensure that Primary Authority Advice is reviewed as required so that it remains up-to-date and relevant?
 What information could usefully be shared with enforcing authorities via the secure area of the Primary Authority Register to assist them in regulating the business at a local level? For example:
 explaining key aspects of the business’ operating model that will help local regulators to identify responsibilities and to address existing confusions;

standardising sampling or complaints procedures;

providing FAQs;

providing answers to questions that are commonly included in self-assessment questionnaires; or,

making available commonly requested documents.
 Are there areas where an inspection plan might be appropriate? (see Primary
Authority Handbook , Module 7.2)
 What is the business’ current experience of local enforcement activity in these areas?
 How does it think an inspection plan might be beneficial?
 Does the business have any other primary authorities? If so, how will the partnerships co-ordinate?
 Are there other primary authority partnerships whose activities might have an impact on the business? For example:

where the business is in a franchise agreement with a business that has a primary authority

where the business has major customers that have a primary authority
If so, how will consistency issues be addressed?
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 Which legal entities will be included in the partnership
– who are the ‘regulated persons’?
 Which regulatory categories will be covered for each of the regulated persons?
 Are the eligibility criteria met? ie. for each of the categories to be covered by the partnership, is each of the legal entities to be named on the application for nomination regulated by more than one local authority, in a geographic area that is in scope? (the
List of Primary Authority Categories includes a table summarising the applicability of each category in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) 
 Who will complete the online application on behalf of the business and local authority?
(see the Primary Authority Register user guidance for primary authorities that sets out what is involved in applying for a direct partnership)
 Have cost recovery arrangements been discussed and agreed?
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