The Earl of Denbighasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the revisions to the systems of regulating meat hygiene in New Zealand, Australia and the United States represent an improvement over the regulatory system employed in the United Kingdom. [HL3039]
§ Lord DonoughueThe meat inspection systems in New Zealand, Australia and the United States of America are being developed on risk-based principles, whereas current EU meat hygiene rules lay down prescriptive meat inspection protocols. Opinions differ as to the merits of the two systems. The Government are actively supporting initiatives to modernise EU meat hygiene controls.
§ The Earl of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have carried out a cost of compliance assessment on the costs which would be incurred by slaughterhouse owners or operators to meet the non-statutory criteria set out by the Hygiene Assessment Scheme in order to qualify for maximum scores. [HL3113]
27WA
§ Lord DonoughueNo. The cost will depend on individual circumstances.
§ The Earl of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Official Veterinary Surgeons take account of the costs of compliance when recommending to slaughterhouse owners or operators works or activities which are not statutory requirements; whether any such recommendations are withdrawn if representations are received that their completion is not economically viable; and whether slaughterhouse owners or operators are subsequently penalised by being marked down on the Hygiene Assessment Scheme scores if those works or activities are not undertaken. [HL3114]
§ Lord DonoughueOVSs can only require owners or operators to meet the statutory requirements. It is for the owner or operator to determine the economic viability of any work that he chooses to undertake. HAS scores monitor the standard attained by the premises as they exist.
§ The Earl of Liverpoolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether licensed slaughterhouse owners or operators are entitled to require the publication of corrected Hygiene Assessment Scheme (HAS) scores where HAS scores previously published have been shown to have been in error. [HL3116]
§ Lord DonoughueIf an error is discovered, the MHS will write to the operator and offer to inform their customers of the revised score.
§ Lord HolmPatrickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the current arrangements for auditing the performance of the Meat Hygiene Service by veterinary officers attached to the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group (JFSSG) can be considered wholly independent when those officers appoint Official Veterinary Surgeons as local veterinary inspectors, who thereby become responsible to the JFSSG veterinary officers. [HL3083]
§ Lord DonoughueVeterinary officers attached to the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group are not responsible for appointing local veterinary inspectors.
§ Lord HolmPatrickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Official Veterinary Surgeons are entitled to require the fitting of fine-mesh filters over drainage channels to prevent ingress of specified risk material, when the discharge to the channels is already fitted with such filters and the provision required prevents the effective drainage of water. [HL3086]
§ Lord DonoughueIt is a requirement of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 that all slaughterhouses, cutting premises and cold stores shall have satisfactory drainage, fitted (except in rooms28WA for cooling or storage of meat) with gratings and traps for solids. The use of gratings with a mesh no larger than 4 square millimetres in drains where specified risk material is handled, to enable small particles of such material to be trapped and disposed of properly, is considered good practice and encouraged but is not legally enforceable. Such a mesh will not prevent effective drainage, provided trapped material is regularly cleared.
§ Lord HolmPatrickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Official Veterinary Surgeons and Meat Hygiene Inspectors engaged in slaughterhouse duties who fail to carry out the statutory provisions of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations are, subject to a satisfactory standard of proof, committing criminal offences. [HL3087]
§ Lord DonoughueNormally OVSs and MHIs who fail to carry out their functions under the Fresh Meat Regulations are subject to disciplinary proceedings. Such a failure does not of itself give rise to criminal liability under those regulations.
§ Lord HolmPatrickasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether slaughterhouse owners, operators and their staff engaged in slaughterhouse duties who fail to carry out the statutory provisions of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations are, subject to a satisfactory standard of proof, committing criminal offences. [HL3088]
§ Lord DonoughueSlaughterhouse owners, operators and staff who fail to carry out their statutory obligations under the regulations are liable to prosecution, but prosecution action depends on the circumstances of the case.
§ Lord HolmPatrickasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to ensure that animal welfare regulations in United Kingdom abattoirs are enforced, should the Meat Hygiene Service be absorbed into the Food Standards Agency; and which organisation will audit the enforcement function. [HL3205]
§ Lord DonoughueAnimal welfare regulations will continue to be enforced in GB abattoirs by Official Veterinary Surgeons of the Meat Hygiene Service, who will continue to be audited on behalf of Ministers by Veterinary Meat Hygiene Advisers of the Veterinary Public Health Unit and the State Veterinary Service. These functions will be the subject of a concordat between departments and the Food Standards Agency. In Northern Ireland these functions will continue to be performed by the Veterinary Service of the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.
§ Baroness Whartonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in pursuit of Health and Safety requirements and fire safety regulations, 29WA slaughterhouse owners or operators can lawfully prevent any persons entering their premises until such time as those persons have registered their presence with a nominated person on those premises; and whether owners or operators can lawfully require any persons who have entered the premises to notify the nominated person on their departure. [HL2877]
§ Lord DonoughueIn extreme cases, such as those applicable in coal mines, nuclear installations and similar dangerous working environments, owners and operators may, in order to meet their legal obligations under fire, and health and safety legislation, require visiting personnel to notify a nominated person of their entry to, and departure from the premises.
It is doubtful however, that slaughterhouses fall into this limited category of dangerous working environment. It would therefore be considered wholly disproportionate to the level of risk involved if owners or operators of such premises were to require MHS personnel to register their entry on to, and departure from, their premises.
§ Lord Willoughby de Brokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assessment is made of veterinary surgeons during the conversion course for Official Veterinary Surgeons as to post-mortem meat inspection skills; by whom that assessment is made; and what criteria are applied. [HL2882]
§ Lord DonoughueNo formal assessment of post-mortem inspection skills is carried out during the course for Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVSs), although the course does contain an element of refresher training.
§ Lord Willoughby de Brokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the standards of personal hygiene and hygienic operation which apply to slaughtermen in licensed premises apply with equal effect to staff employed by the Meat Hygiene Service. [HL2964]
§ Lord DonoughueYes they do. The standards of personal hygiene and hygienic operation required of staff employed by the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) are set out in detail in the MHS Operations Manual.
Earl Alexander of Tunisasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Official Veterinary Surgeons who demonstrate a consistent inability to distinguish between statutory requirements in respect of slaughterhouse operations, and non-statutory requirements are subject to re-training. [HL3127]
§ Lord DonoughueYes they are. The Meat Hygiene Service aims to utilise the services of fully competent officials and requires them to be re-trained if they fail in this respect.
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§ Lord Glentoranasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Improvement Notices were served by Official Veterinary Surgeons, employed by the Meat Hygiene Service, in the financial years 1995–96, 1996–97,1997–98 and 1998–99. [HL3118]
§ Lord DonoughueThis information is not readily available for the financial years 1995–96 and 1996–97. However, the total number of Improvement Notices served by Official Veterinary Surgeons employed by the Meat Hygiene Service during the 1997–98 and 1998–99 financial years is as follows:
Financial Year Improvement Notices served: 1997–98 301 1998–99 350
§ Lord Glentoranasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Hygiene Assessment Scheme reports supplied to slaughterhouse owners and others may be handwritten by Official Veterinary Surgeons; and whether standards of legibility apply to such reports. [HL3120]
§ Lord DonoughueYes, but the writing should be legible.
§ Lord Glentoranasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action is taken by Meat Hygiene Service supervisory officials when they detect defective Improvement Notices which have been served by Official Veterinary Surgeons. [HL3122]
§ Lord DonoughueThe defective Improvement Notices are withdrawn and correct ones served. The circumstances behind the serving of the defective notices are also investigated.
§ Viscount Torringtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, given the complexity of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995, they consider it advisable that the full text of the regulations and of the Meat Hygiene Service's operating manual should be displayed within slaughterhalls for the guidance of slaughterhouse employees. [HL3124]
§ Lord DonoughueThis is a matter for individual owners.
§ Lord Rowallanasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are completely satisfied with the performance of the Meat Hygiene Service. [HL3107]
§ Lord DonoughueThe MHS has met all the performance targets set by Ministers since its inception (subject to NAO audit of 1998–99 financial targets).
§ Lord Rowallanasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether meat produced from a slaughterhouse, in which there is a full compliance with the Fresh Meat 31WA (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations, is necessarily hygienic and safe. [HL3111]
§ Lord DonoughueMeat produced in full compliance with the Fresh Meat Regulations is as hygienic and safe as is reasonably possible under the current legislation.
§ Viscount Exmouthasked Her Majesty's Government:
What advice they offer to slaughterhouse owners and operators on the cleaning of high density polyethylene chopping blocks when conventional cleaning techniques fail to secure the adequate cleanliness of these blocks. [HL3095]
§ Lord DonoughueShould the cleaning techniques available to a slaughterhouse owner or operator fail to ensure the adequate cleanliness of their chopping blocks, then those blocks will need to be replaced.
§ Viscount Exmouthasked Her Majesty's Government:
What studies they have carried out to demonstrate that high density polyethylene chopping blocks deliver better microbiological standards than wooden blocks, when each type is cleaned in a similar manner, after prolonged use in slaughterhouse or cutting plant environments. [HL3096]
§ Lord DonoughueNone. In any event the use of wooden chopping blocks in licensed slaughterhouses and cutting plants is prohibited by the Fresh Meat Directive (64/433/EEC, as amended).
§ Viscount Exmouthasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action a slaughterhouse owner or operator is entitled or required to take when he becomes aware that a member of the Meat Hygiene Service staff is committing or is about to commit an offence under the Meat Hygiene or specified Risk Material Regulations. [HL3098]
§ Lord DonoughueBoth the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 and the Specified Risk Material Regulations 1997 seek to ensure that those operating slaughterhouses do so safely and hygienically. The role of the Meat Hygiene Service is to supervise and enforce those regulations. Any complaints about the activities of members of MHS staff should be referred to their senior managers in the normal way.
§ Viscount Exmouthasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether a slaughterhouse owner or operator is entitled to make representations to a veterinary meat hygiene officer of the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group who is carrying out a performance audit of Meat Hygiene Service on his premises as to the performance of those staff; and whether the officer is required to take note of any such representations and to have regard to them in formulating this report. [HL3099]
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§ Lord DonoughueYes, but representations about the performance of MHS staff are most usefully made to MHS management. A Veterinary Meat Hygiene Adviser receiving such representations would be expected to note them.
Viscount Longasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Official Veterinary Surgeons are entitled to threaten slaughterhouse owners or operators with closure or revocation of licences when there are no grounds for so doing. [HL3037]
§ Lord DonoughueNo, they are not.
Viscount Longasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many slaughterhouse owners have been prosecuted for breaches of Specified Risk Material Regulations; and how many have been formally cautioned. [HL3038]
Lord DonughueFor breaches of the Specified Risk Material Regulations 1997, which came into force on 1 January 1998, there have been 14 completed prosecutions of licensed slaughterhouse operators in England and Wales. A system of formal cautioning is not used by the Ministry. My noble and learned friend the Lord Advocate is responsible for the prosecution of crime in Scotland.
Lord Blythasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether an abattoir which consistently gains high Hygiene Assessment Scheme scores under the present scoring system but gains lower scores under the revised scheme by virtue of the operator not having produced written policy statements on its operational practices, without there having been any other changes, will be regarded as less hygienic than it was previously considered to be. [HL3078]
§ Lord DonoughueWritten policy statements are designed to confirm the management's commitments to the standard of hygiene in its plant. Consistent attainment of high hygiene standards is more likely to be attained where management commitment is demonstrated in this way.
Lord Blythasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether an Official Veterinary Surgeon, having mistakenly failed to carry out ante-mortem inspections of animals in a slaughterhouse lairage, and having failed to communicate that fact to the slaughterhouse operator, is then entitled to require the destruction of carcasses derived from those animals on the grounds that they have not been inspected in accordance with the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations. [HL3080]
§ Lord DonoughueDestruction of the carcass would not be required but it could not be sold for human consumption.
Lord Blythasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether an Official Veterinary Surgeon, having been made aware by the operator of a slaughterhouse 33WA of an animal carcass which has been removed from the slaughterhall after post-mortem inspection but without official health marks having been applied, is then entitled, without evidence to that effect, to accuse the slaughterhouse operator of having killed that animal illegally. [HL3082]
§ Lord DonoughueNo, he or she is not.
§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the implementation of the Hygiene Assessment System solely in the United Kingdom imposes additional burdens on the meat trade which are not borne by plants in other member states of the European Union; and, if so, whether this is compatible with the need to ensure a level playing field between comparable businesses. [HL3089]
§ Lord DonoughueNo.
§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
What representations they have made to the European Commission in respect of the recognition of meat inspectors and environmental health officers as official veterinarians. [HL3091]
Lord DonoughuieNone. The qualifications of veterinarians are clearly laid down in Community legislation.
§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to seek renegotiation of EC Directive 91/497/EEC; and, if they intend to seek renegotiation, what the possible timescale might be. [HL3093]
§ Lord DonoughueDiscussions are about to open on revising and consolidating all EU food hygiene legislation. Her Majesty's Government is taking a prominent part in those discussions. It is not possible to give a time-scale at this stage.
§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, since it is 36 months since any spinal cord was found attached to a bovine carcass during an abattoir inspection, they intend to reduce the burden of inspection and hence its cost. [HL3056]
§ Lord DonoughueThe Government believe that the absence of any finding of spinal cord in a bovine carcase for 36 months is an excellent result. Its significance, in the Government's view, is that it provides a substantial assurance that supervision of the controls over specified risk material by the Meat Hygiene Service continues to be effective, with consequential benefits for public health. However, as the risk from such material remains, we do not believe it appropriate yet to consider any reduction in the level of that supervision, the costs of which for this financial year continue to be government -funded.