§ Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 14 June (WA 55), on what evidence the Food Standards Agency's Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food decided that illegal meat imports did not require further investigation at present. [HL3395]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) ad hoc imported foods group considered documentary and verbal evidence provided by the Food Standards Agency, Health Protection Agency, Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to current processes in place to prevent unsafe food including meat entering the United Kingdom.
§ In view of the large amount of government attention being focused on illegal imports; the group concluded that there was currently no need for it to undertake further investigation, although it was agreed that the ACMSF should keep a watching brief on developments in this area.
§ Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ Whether the Food Standards Agency will consider evidence of the testing and sampling of illegal meat imports for infectious diseases before deciding on further investigation of the issue. [HL3396]
§ Lord Warner:The Food Standards Agency will continue to monitor all available data and keep under review its assessment of the microbiological risks to public health from illegally imported meat including bushmeat.
Lord Rotherwick asked Her Majesty's Government:
What feedback has been received on the value of the Food Standards Agency's training course for 46WA local authority enforcement officers on illegal imports; and what ongoing information, guidance and advice they provide on illegal imports. [HL3443]
§ Lord Warner:The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provided a training programme on imported food, which covered how to deal with illegally imported products, for local authorities during 2003–04 as part the Step Change project to improve the enforcement imported food controls. Representatives from 99.75 per cent of all United Kingdom local authorities attended the courses and 96 per cent of attendees rated the courses positively (excellent or the equivalent top mark).
Additionally, the FSA will shortly issue statutory guidance on imported food and feed controls for local authorities, and has established an imported food inquiry line and dedicated area of the FSA website for inquiries from enforcement officers, trade and the public.