§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will give for each year since 1989 the number of(a) public analysts and (b) Public Analyst laboratories; [77524]
(2) if all Public Analyst laboratories were accredited by 1 November 1998 under the terms of the Additional Food Control Measures Directive 93/99/EEC; [77516]
(3) what steps he has taken to ensure that local authorities make full use of the facilities provided by public analysts. [77509]
§ Mr. RookerEach local authority must appoint one or more Public Analysts. A list of Public Analysts is not centrally held.
Under the Additional Food Control Measures 93/99, the UK is required to submit to the Commission a list of food control laboratories nominated to carry out analyses and/or examinations of foodstuffs. The list contains those Laboratories who have met the Standards for Official Food Control Laboratories which have been agreed between Government and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). I am not aware of any currently appointed Public Analyst Laboratory not covered by this accreditation.
406WA copy of the submitted list is available from the Library of the House. Arrangements are also being made to make it publicly available on the Ministry's website and to publish changes to it by that means.