§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recommendations in the Maclean report on abattoirs the Government have decided not to implement. [153240]
§ Ms StuartI am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that the revised meat inspection charging system that came into force on 2 April 2001 implements all the recommendations of the meat inspection charges task force (Maclean report) with one exception.
The exception was the recommendation that the FSA should carry out a full risk assessment of green offal inspection and veterinary involvement in ante-mortem inspection of young stock. The underlying intention was the removal of unnecessary burdens and costs (subject to amendment of the European Union Fresh Meat Directive) if the proposed assessment indicated that the procedures did not offer increased public health protection.
In its consultation package on the measures required to implement the recommendations of the Maclean task force, the FSA explained that the EU scientific steering committee is undertaking a risk assessment relating to all aspects of meat inspection in all member states. Any action that the European Commission proposes to take will depend on the committee's findings, and European legislation will be amended if required. In these circumstances the FSA considered that it would be unwise to act ahead of Europe on these issues. In addition, the FSA considered that the types of meat plants that would benefit from the removal of unnecessary inspections would, in any case, include those likely to benefit from the introduction of a revised inspection charging system based on headage payments.
The FSA's proposal in this respect did not attract any opposition from respondents to the consultation exercise.
§ Mr. GillTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has given abattoir operators regarding meat inspection charges post 1 April. [155114]
§ Ms Stuart[holding answer 23 March 2001]: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that a copy of their proposals for changes to the meat inspection charging system from 2 April 2001 in order to implement the recommendations of the meat inspection charges task force was sent to all licensed meat plant operators in Great Britain in January 2001 as part of the FSA's public consultation exercise.
Subsequently, the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) wrote to all plant operators on 29 March 2001 to inform them of the outcome of the consultation exercise and to provide 569W details of the revised charging system to apply from 2 April. The letter also provided the contact details for MHS regional customer liaison officers should plant operators require further information.
The FSA also wrote to meat industry representative organisations on 2 April 2001 with a summary of the comments received during the consultation exercise, together with the FSA' s response, and with details of the new charging system.
These letters are available on the FSA website, www.foodstandards.gov.uk, and I have also arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.
The revised meat inspection charging system came into effect, as proposed, on 2 April 2001.