§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will specify the areas of food safety under investigation for deregulation. [34411]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe food law deregulation plan, prepared jointly by my Department and the Department of Health, was issued on 14 September 1993. The plan, which recognises both the important need for consumer protection and the need to work with our partners in Europe to achieve greater harmonisation, is divided into six sectors. Two of these—hygiene and food additives and contaminants—deal with food safety.
The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 will implement the EC General Food Hygiene Directive from 15 September. In addition, the Department of Health is planning revisions to statutory food temperature controls. Together, these will result in the repeal of 11 sets of regulations when they enter into force later this year.
The Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1995, which implement the EC Directive on milk hygiene, have resulted in the repeal of nine sets of regulations and the consolidation of existing milk hygiene regulations in England and Wales.
We are encouraging the European Commission to simplify and rationalise product-specific EC food hygiene rules.