§ 3. Mr. Ben Chapman (Wirral, South)If he will make a statement on the timetable for the introduction of the Food Standards Agency. [98928]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Yvette Cooper)My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, together with colleagues in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, hopes to be able to announce the appointment of the chairman designate for the Food Standards Agency before the end of the year. We expect the formal launch of the agency to be in spring 2000.
§ Mr. ChapmanThis is very good news indeed. [Laughter.] It is an example of the Government taking timely and effective action on a crucial matter and it compares dramatically with the lack of any effective action by the Conservative party when in government. 458 Does my hon. Friend agree that the separation of the regulation and the promotion of the industry is timely and, in the light of what has gone before, long overdue?
§ Yvette CooperI certainly do. It was a manifesto commitment to set up the agency. It is a shame that Conservative Members do not take the Food Standards Agency seriously. The agency's main objective will be the protection of public health from risks that may arise in connection with the consumption of food. Public health and the consumer must come first.
§ Mr. David Ruffley (Bury St. Edmunds)Does the Minister expect the agency to propose the lifting of the ban on beef on the bone?
§ Yvette CooperThat is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The chief medical officers for the United Kingdom—for England, for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland will be meeting soon to consider the issue further.