§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy towards the funding of the public analyst service, with particular reference to the relative priority to be accorded to laboratory tests performed by the public analysts on behalf of local authority trading standards officers, environmental health officers and other inspectors operating in the field of consumer protection; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonLocal authorities are responsible for determining their own priorities for the enforcement of consumer protection legislation. Under the Food Act 1984, each food and drugs authority has to appoint a public analyst, but it is not the policy of this Government to interfere with the funding arrangements between an authority and its public analyst nor with the authority's decisions on the relative importance of the services to be carried out by the public analyst.