Food Safety (Hansard, 30 January 1997)

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg

The Secretary of State for Health and I are today announcing, with the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland, the Government's intention to appoint an independent,358W eminent chairman of a newly created Food Safety Council who will also be an adviser on food safety. The council will advise Ministers on food safety and related matters, take a strategic view of the longer-term agenda, and identify issues cutting across the work of the existing network of independent expert advisory committees. Its membership will be drawn from a wide range of fields with an interest in the safety of the food supply, including both scientific experts and lay members.

The council and food safety adviser will report jointly to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland. The proposed terms of reference for the adviser and the council are set out below.

Our intention is that the council and the adviser should be free to advise on any matters related to the safety, quality, labelling and authenticity of food and be available as an authoritative source of advice to the general public. These arrangements will strengthen the existing network of advisory committees, but will not detract from the role of the individual expert committees. The food safety adviser will work closely with the chief medical officers.

In addition, we are formally appointing the chief medical officer, Sir Kenneth Caiman, as adviser to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on public health matters. This formalises arrangements which in practice have applied for many years. These new arrangements help to confirm the importance of public health advice in the area of food policy.

Terms of reference for the chairman of the Food Safety Council and food safety adviser.

to advise the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food on any matters related to the safety, quality, labelling and authenticity of food; and the Secretaries of Stale for Health, for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland in the area of their Departments' responsibilities.
to chair the Food Safety Council; and
to communicate information relating to the work of the Food Safety Council to Parliament, the media and the general public.

Terms of reference for the Food Safety Council

to advice the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food on any matters relating to the safety, quality, labelling and authenticity of food, and the Secretaries of State for Health, for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland in the area of then Departments' responsibilities, having regard at all times to the views of relevant export bodies and to public concerns;
to co-ordinate those areas of work of the independent advisory committees which fall within the remit of the Food Safety Council and identify issues of common interest;
to advise on how these matters are best communicated to the general public;
to report annually to the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food and the Secretaries of State for Health, for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland on food safety and related matters, and to lay a copy of the report before Parliament.