HC Deb 24 April 1995 vol 258 cc378-9W
Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many inspectors his Department employs to visit meat wholesalers; how many visits each inspector makes; and how many visits each supplier expects a year; [19486]

(2) if meat wholesalers are notified in advance of visits by his Department's meat inspectors; [19487]

(3) if he will list the number and types of incidents in meat wholesalers detected by his Department's inspectors for the last year for which figures are available. [19489]

Mrs. Browning

The Agriculture Departments are responsible for licensing fresh meat premises—abattoirs, cutting plants and some cold stores, all of which could be considered wholesalers—under the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995. Visits for licensing purposes are carried out by officers of the State Veterinary Service. At end 1994, there were 1,580 licensed premises in Great Britain and SVS time spent on visits to meat plants is estimated at 58 man years in 1994–95. Some SVS visits to licensed premises are unannounced.

The purpose of SVS licensing visits is to monitor standards and to advise on remedial action where deficiencies are identified. Information on SVS assessments of hygiene standards was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Luff) on 1 March 1995, Official Report, columns 626–28, and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland's reply to the hon. Member for Ayr (Mr. Gallie) on 14 March 1995, Official Report, columns 480–82.

On 1 April 1995, responsibility for meat inspection and hygiene enforcement in Great Britain transferred from local authorities to the Meat Hygiene Service, an executive agency of the Department. The MHS currently employs 817 meat hygiene inspectors and 42 official veterinary surgeons, and also obtains vet services and relief cover for meat inspection through contract. MHS personnel are present in abattoirs on a daily basis and make regular visits to cutting premises and cold stores. Premises are notified in advance of the overall level of supervision to be expected but will not always know the precise timing of the visits.

Until this month, day-to-day hygiene enforcement in fresh meat premises was the responsibility of local authority environmental health departments, and the Department does not hold records of incidents detected by their inspectors.

Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what investigations his Department's inspectors carry out on the accuracy of date labelling by wholesale meat suppliers to supermarkets. [19488]

Mrs. Browning

Date-marking requirements apply to pre-packed foodstuffs which are ready for sale to the ultimate consumer or a catering establishment. Enforcement of these requirements is the responsibility of local authorities. Inspectors from local authorities will check on compliance with date-marking requirements as part of their routine duties.

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