HL Deb 23 June 1999 vol 602 cc96-7WA
The Countess of Mar

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What safeguards exist to prevent official veterinary surgeons from requiring, by means of improvement notices, downgrading of hygiene assessment scores or other enforcement activities, any works or actions which are not statutory requirements; and [HL2871]

What safeguards exist to prevent Meat Hygiene Service staff employed in enforcement duties in meat plants from failing to distinguish between works or actions which are statutory requirements and those which are non-statutory requirements, when requiring or recommending works or actions by meat or cutting plant owners or staff. [HL2872]

Lord Donoughue

Chapter 18 of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) Operations Manual provides MHS staff with detailed instructions as to their enforcement responsibilities. It makes a clear distinction between statutory and non-statutory requirements.