§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in the setting up of the national meat hygiene service. [17276]
§ Mr. WaldegraveSecondary legislation has been laid before the House which would, among other things, make Ministers, acting through the meat hygiene service responsible for enforcement of meat hygiene and welfare at slaughter legislation. The necessary arrangements have been made to allow the meat hygiene service to carry out its responsibilities with effect from 1 April when these regulations come into force.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the total administrative cost of setting up the national meat hygiene service to date and if he will indicate any further expenditure that will be necessary in establishing this agency. [17272]
§ Mr. WaldegraveProvision was made for a total of £5.2 million in the years 1994–95 and 1995–96 to meet the set up costs of the meat hygiene service. In addition, a small project team was established within the Ministry between 1992 and March 1995 at an estimated total cost of £626,000.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the representations he has received concerning the national meat hygiene service. [17278]
§ Mr. WaldegraveMy ministerial colleagues and I have had frequent meetings with hon. Members and organisations representing the meat industry to discuss the meat hygiene service. We have also received letters from hon. Members and others both supporting and opposing the creation of the MHS.
I met 11 representative organisations on 27 March; 10 of them confirmed their continuing support for the creation of a single organisation to be responsible for meat hygiene enforcement and inspection.
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§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the methods by which the national meat hygiene service will be held accountable to the House. [17274]
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe meat hygiene service will be an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and its staff will be civil servants. I will be accountable to Parliament for the activities of the agency. Full authority for the day to day operation of the agency rests with the chief executive who will be responsible to me for the agency's overall operation and performance. The MHS will operate in Scotland and Wales on behalf of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State.
Ministers will usually ask the chief executive to write to hon. Members in response to written Parliamentary questions and letters about matters delegated to him. The chief executive's letters in reply to parliamentary questions will be published in the Official Report.
The agency's annual report and accounts will be laid in the House.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list(a) the senior officers, (b) the salaries of the senior officers and (c) the salaries of each grade of staff in the national meat hygiene service. [17277]
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe meat hygiene service is headed by a chief executive supported by four heads of Department. There are six regional managers. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 14 March 1995 to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr. Gill),Official Report, column 500, for details of the chief executive's remuneration. Meat inspectors and other staff transferring from local authorities will do so on terms and conditions broadly equivalent to those of their previous employment. The salaries given for these grades are those which will be offered to new staff on appointment.
Grade Range (£s) Heads of Department 38,000–50,000 Regional Manager 37,500–43,000 Official Veterinary Surgeon 22,000–35,000 Headquarters Manager 16,000–30,000 Area Resource Manager 19,000–28,000 Meat Hygiene Inspector 11,000–23,000 Executive Assistant 7,500–13,000
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the annual total cost to public funds of the national meat hygiene service. [17273]
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe estimated net cost of the meat hygiene service in 1995–96 is £15.4 million. This includes provision for the transitional assistance which I announced on 29 March and elements, such as start-up costs and normal delays in payment, which are not relevant to the agency's operational costs. The estimated net cost in 1996–97 is £1.4 million.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provisions he has put in place to assist with maintaining operations in small abattoirs following the setting up of the national meat hygiene service. [17279]
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§ Mr. WaldegraveWe have always recognised the importance of local abattoirs to the rural economy and have taken a number of measures to ensure that single market rules are applied sensibly and flexibly. These arrangements will continue. The transitional assistance which I announced on 29 March will be of particular benefit to the smaller operator.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what impact the national meat hygiene service will have for the training requirements of environmental health officers; and if environmental health officers will continue to be required to gain qualifications in meat inspection.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe meat hygiene service will assist in providing training for environmental health officers.
Environmental health officers authorised to exercise powers under the Food Safety Act 1990 to examine and seize meat must hold one of the qualifications listed in the schedule to the Authorised Officers (Meat Inspection) Regulations 1987.
§ Dr. StrangTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the necessary qualifications for appointment to each grade of staff in the national meat hygiene service.
§ Mr. WaldegraveManagement and support staff are required to have the appropriate skills and experience. The head of operations post requires a veterinarian with substantial professional experience of meat hygiene and regional managers must have substantial practical experience of meat hygiene. Official veterinary surgeons must be members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and be designated by Ministers as official veterinary surgeons having completed the appropriate refresher training in fresh meat or poultry meat hygiene. Meat hygiene inspectors must have the qualifications specified in the regulations governing meat hygiene.