§ Mr. TredinnickTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that the Food Standards Agency will be independent of (i) government, (ii) the food industry and (iii) other producer interests. [31525]
§ Mr. RookerThe White Paper "The Food Standards Agency: A Force for Change" (Cm 3830) explains in some detail the Government's proposals for ensuring that the Agency will operate at arm's length from Government and independently of any sectoral interests while remaining accountable to Parliament through Health Ministers. In particular, the Agency's guiding principles will be set out in legislation, and Ministers' powers of direction over the Agency will be exercisable only if it appears to be acting outside the terms of its specific legal framework. The Agency will have the right to publish the advice it gives to Ministers, whether or not the Government agree with that advice.
The Agency will be led by an independent Chairperson and up to 12 Commissioners who will be appointed on the basis of their proven track records and a majority of whom will come from a wider public interest background. The Commission will act collegiately to further the aims and objectives of the Agency in accordance with its guiding principles.