§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What consultations on the new system of meat hygiene inspection have been initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with the appropriate trade bodies; on what date formal requests for views were dispatched and by what date replies were asked for; and whether the period for consultation complies with the government guidance for the conduct of consultation exercises. [HL2577]
§ Lord DonoughueAs announced by my right honourable friend (the Minister) on 21 April, the Government are undertaking an examination of the impact of meat inspection charges on abattoirs and producers. As part of that examination, a letter to interested organisations was dispatched on 7 May requesting relevant information with a request for replies by noon on 17 May. Separate letters were sent to organisations in Scotland and Wales. The letter was given wide publicity, including being placed on the MAFF Internet site. In addition to written responses, my officials have also met representatives of the Anglian Poultry Producers Action Group, the British Meat Federation (formerly the Federation of Fresh Meat Wholesalers) and the Small Abattoirs Federation at their request. In my right honourable friend's announcement, it was made clear that the study would be completed quickly. Although the period for receipt of responses was shorter than that recommended in the government guidance for the conduct of consultation exercises, we are endeavouring to take account of all responses received after the due date.