§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the use by his officials of powers granted under the Food Safety Act 1990 to ban the sale of cheese without court proceedings; and if he will make a statement. [47070]
§ Ms JowellThe powers to which the right hon. Member refers are conferred on Ministers. On 20 May 1998, I signed an emergency control order under section 13 of the Food Safety Act 1990 prohibiting commercial operations in respect of cheese from a Somerset producer, because I was satisfied that such operations involved or may have involved imminent risk of injury to health. A 12 year old boy had become seriously ill after eating cheese contaminated with e-coli. The source was traced to the producer who was the subject of the order.
One business made representations and attended a meeting at the Department. I responded to the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Tyler), who initiated a debate on the matter, and to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) who made representations in the course of the debate, 17 June 1998, Official Report, columns 338–46. We have also received a letter from the Specialist Cheesemakers' Association, and as at 24 June 1998, three letters from hon. Members and one from a member of the public.