HL Deb 23 June 1999 vol 602 c96WA
Baroness Wharton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether official veterinary surgeons or any other Meat Hygiene Service personnel have any statutory rights of entry to administration offices, maintained by slaughterhouse owners or operators for the conduct of their businesses, where no fresh meat or other foodstuff is handled. [HL2878]

Lord Donoughue

The Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 and the Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995 require the occupier of a licensed slaughterhouse to ensure that the official veterinary surgeon and meat hygiene inspector are given such reasonable assistance and access to records as they may from time to time require in order to carry out their duties under those regulations. This may involve allowing the officials concerned access to the part of the premises where the records are kept.