§ Mr. CorbettTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated level of resources to be transferred by his Department to the proposed Food Standards Agency for(a) staff research and (b) other relevant heads of account. [48852]
§ Mr. RookerAll the resources currently devoted to food safety and standards work within the remit of the proposed Food Standards Agency (FSA), associated scientific research budgets, and a share of the relevant central corporate support budgets in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are expected to be transferred to the FSA when it is established. The precise boundaries of the Agency's responsibilities are still being determined in response to the consultation on the White Paper "The Food Standards Agency: A Force for Change" and we hope to publish a draft Bill shortly for further consultation. Estimates of the resources to be transferred to the FSA will be made in the light of that consultation, and of the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review.