HC Deb 11 January 2002 vol 377 cc1039-41W
Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the roles of(a) her Department, (b) the Food Standards Agency, (c) local authorities, (d) port health authorities and (e) other relevant public agencies, in the control of food imports. [18362]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 23 November 2001]The Department is the central competent authority for animal health policy as it affects veterinary checks on the import of products of animal origin from third countries. The Food Standards Agency is responsible for public health policy and food enforcement activity by all local authorities including port health authorities. Local authorities and port health authorities (where one exists) are responsible for the enforcement of controls at point of import. Local authorities also have responsibility for health controls at all subsequent points in the human food chain. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise Department are responsible for ensuring that any product of animal origin presented for import is not released until the health controls at point of import have been completed satisfactorily.

Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Treasury on how to improve co-ordination of controls on food imports. [20813]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 6 December 2001]Departmental officials are leading an inter-departmental review aimed at co-ordinating action across government to ensure that rules on imports of products of animal origin are enforced effectively and efficiently. In carrying out this task they meet regularly with colleagues in the Treasury, other Government Departments and responsible enforcement authorities.

Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls the Government have to prevent(a) unsafe and (b) inferior food imports; and what plans she has to tighten those controls. [20812]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 6 December 2001]All consignments of products of animal origin imported into the UK from other EU member states must have been produced in accordance with the harmonised Community rules laid down in various Council directives. Imports from third countries must have been produced to standards at least equivalent to those in this legislation. Among other things, this legislation sets out the licensing, structural and veterinary supervision requirements to be applied in meat, fish and milk processing plants.

All products of animal origin imported into the UK from third countries must enter at designated UK Border Inspection Posts (BIPs). All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks and a proportion are subject to physical checks. The level of physical checks is laid down in Community legislation and depends on a number of risk factors. These ensure import conditions are met and that the products remain in satisfactory condition during transport. In line with Community rules, random spot checks at destination may be carried out on consignments of animal products imported from other EU member states.

The Government take very seriously the need to have effective controls on imports of animal products and we in DEFRA are co-ordinating action across government to ensure that the rules are enforced as effectively as possible.

Controls on the importation of food products for human use which are not of animal origin, such as fruit, vegetables and cereals, from countries outside the EU are not harmonised at EU level. Imports of such food must meet the food hygiene requirements in Great Britain's Imported Food Regulations 1997 and their equivalent in Northern Ireland for which the Food Standards Agency is responsible. These Regulations require that imported food meets the same food safety standards as apply to food produced in the UK. The UK's local food authorities, who undertake day-to-day enforcement at air and sea ports, can refuse entry to or arrange destruction of foods that do not meet the UK's requirements. Such food imported from both third countries and other EU member states may be inspected at retail level to ensure that it satisfies requirements under the Food Safety Act 1990.