Food Standards and Safety Group (Hansard, 18 January 1999)

§ Mr. Corbett
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current structure of the Joint Food Standards and Safety Group. [64959]

§ Mr. Rooker
The Joint Food Safety and Standards Group works across Departmental boundaries, bringing together those parts of MAFF and the Department of 383W Health that have responsibility for food safety and standards matters. The Group currently comprises around 380 officials who report to both Agriculture and Health Ministers. It is organised into 11 divisions, including two that are responsible for developing and implementing plans for the Food Standards Agency. The divisions deal with the following main areas of policy: additives and novel foods; food labelling, food authenticity and compositional standards; food contaminants; animal feedingstuffs and fertilisers; food hygiene; meat hygiene; veterinary advice on public health matters; radiological safety; nutrition and diet; and enforcement issues. I shall shortly place in the Library of the House an organogram that illustrates these arrangements.

§ Mr. Corbett
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reports the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group has so far made to Ministers; and when the next report is expected. [64958]

§ Mr. Rooker
The Joint Food Safety and Standards Group brings together the officials in those parts of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health that are responsible for food safety and standards matters. It is a set unit of civil servants rather than a body that reports periodically. Since the Group was established on 1 September 1997 it has provided ongoing policy and executive support to Agriculture and Health Ministers.

§ Mr. Matthew Taylor
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what dates the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group has met since it was established; and on what dates this group is scheduled to meet in 1999. [65050]

§ Mr. Rooker
The Joint Food Safety and Standards Group brings together the officials in those parts of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health that are responsible for food safety and standards matters. It is a set unit of civil servants rather than a body that meets periodically. Since it was established on 1 September 1997 the Group has provided ongoing policy and executive support to Ministers in both Departments. It will continue to do so until the Food Standards Agency, of which it is expected to form the operational core, is established.