Food Safety (Hansard, 4 December 1997)

§ 25. Mr. Lepper
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department spends on(a) food safety and (b) standards surveys; and how much he expects to spend in the current year. [17689]

§ Mr. Rooker
The Department spends about £8.5 million on food surveys of which more than 95 per cent. is on food safety. Microbiological surveillance accounts for £413,000 with the remainder funding the food chemical surveillance programme. A similar level of spend is expected for the current year.

§ Mr. Canavan
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to improve standards of food safety. [17691]

§ Mr. Rooker
We are already taking such steps by the establishment of the Food Standards Agency and other related measures.

§ Mr. Baker
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the number of food samples submitted each year from 1990 to date to public analysts for analysis; and if he will make a statement. [18911]

§ Mr. Rooker
The information requested forms part of our statistical return to the EU Commission, which is published and copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. However, the specific information requested is as follows:

year Number of samples¹ (UK figures)

1996 62,350

1995 63,726

355W

Year Number of samples¹ (UK figures)

1994 65,162

1993 67,959

1992 65,398

1991 46,976

1990 ²—

¹ These are official samples only, i.e. those taken for the purpose of enforcement of the Food Safety Act 1990. They do not include samples taken for surveillance or other purposes, for which information is not held centrally.

² No data collected.

Year	Number of samples¹ (UK figures)
1994	65,162
1993	67,959
1992	65,398
1991	46,976
1990	²—
¹ These are official samples only, i.e. those taken for the purpose of enforcement of the Food Safety Act 1990. They do not include samples taken for surveillance or other purposes, for which information is not held centrally.
² No data collected.