§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to page 37 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency, what are the wider enforcement issues of relevance to the agency and its stakeholders that have been considered by the local authority enforcement liaison group. [49223]
§ Yvette CooperThe local authority enforcement liaison group, which in November 2001 became the enforcement liaison group, has considered a number of issues that are not specifically covered by the framework agreement on local authority food law enforcement. These include: food surveillance mechanisms; sampling of imported foods; the Food Standard Agency's (FSA) communications strategy; schemes to increase the transparency of hygiene standards in food businesses; support for local authority food law enforcement work; traceability in the food chain; issues arising form the FSA's monitoring and audit of local authorities; and funding arrangements for local authority enforcement services.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the quality of the website of the Food Standards Agency. [49072]
§ Yvette CooperThe structure of the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) new website, launched on 10 December 2001, reflects the FSA's core values of independence, openness and accessibility and has been well received by consumers and stakeholders. This is reflected in the considerable rise in traffic to the site.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the new cross-cutting arrangements for dealing with food incidents referred to on page 34 of the 2001 Food Standards Agency report were in place to coincide with the move of the Food Standards Agency to Aviation house. [49212]
§ Yvette CooperThe arrangements for dealing with food incidents were reviewed prior to the move to Aviation house in spring 2001, and a new incidents room was established within the new office building. Subsequently a Food Standards Agency (FSA) wide food incidents committee has been established to monitor the FSA's handling of incidents.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has been taken by his Department further to the Service Delivery Agreement target of the Food Standards Agency to publish a consultation document on future labelling policy. [49251]
§ Yvette CooperThe Food Standards Agency (FSA) published a wide-ranging action plan on food labelling in September 2000 based upon issues identified as priorities in public consultation and consumer research. The FSA is consulting stakeholders on each individual initiative in the action plan as it is taken forward.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many open fora of the Food Standards Agency have been held since 31 May 2000. [49254]
§ Yvette CooperThe Food Standards Agency held an open forum at Villa Park, Birmingham on 31 May 2000, where members of the public were invited to give their views on how the agency should operate and what they112W saw as its priorities. Since then, the agency has held six similarly wide ranging open fora on food issues in Cardiff (May 2001), Dundee (June 2001), Bristol (September 2001), London (November 2001), Orkney (November 2001), and Inverness (November 2001). The agency has also held numerous public meetings across the UK dealing with specific issues such as the agency's review of BSE controls, BSE and sheep, food labelling, nutrition, genetic modification and folic acid fortification.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the agreed recommendations of the Pooley report which are within the remit of the Food Standards Agency have been implemented. [49244]
§ Yvette CooperThere were originally 29 recommendations in the Pooley report for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to take forward, including those relating to meat inspection and the work of the meat hygiene service. One of these recommendations was subsequently transferred by agreement to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Of the remaining current 28 recommendations for the FSA, six require EU approval, and these are being worked on; 11 have been completed; 10 are being acted on; and one requires action this year.
Progress on all these matters is detailed on the FSA website at http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/meat/redtapegroup and is updated monthly.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the result was of the discussions referred to on page 42 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency, between the Food Standards Agency and the trade unions about reviewing the FSA's pay arrangements; [49209]
(2) if he will make a statement on the result of the approach by the Food Standards Agency to the Cabinet Office, referred to on page 42 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency, in pursuit of pay delegation. [49233]
§ Yvette CooperPay delegation approval was obtained from the Cabinet Office in 2001 for the Food Standards Agency to develop and negotiate agency-specific pay arrangements. A two-year pay agreement was reached with the trade unions, effective from 1 August 2001.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has been taken following the publication in February 2001 of the final report on the consumer surveys of attitudes towards food issues and the Food Standards Agency. [49252]
§ Yvette CooperThe results of the Food Standards Agency's annual consumer attitudes survey are used to track changes in consumer preferences, attitudes and behaviour and to inform agency priorities and activities. Since the publication of the first survey in February 2001, the second survey has been published and key changes noted. Consumer priorities, behaviours and concerns continue to be reflected in agency priorities and activities. These include meat safety including BSE, food poisoning, food hygiene in catering outlets, feed given to livestock, pesticides, food labelling and healthy eating.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Food Standards Agency has met its service delivery agreement to increase the availability of its research results. [49075]
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§ Yvette CooperThe Food Standards Agency has improved the availability of its research results through publishing reports on its website, press releases, information leaflets and articles in popular and specialist publications. In addition, the agency encourages its research contractors to publish research results in the scientific press.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if the target date of April 2001 for the development of the IiP action plan for the Food Standards Agency was met; [49226]
(2) if he will make a statement on the deferral of the IiP website, referred to on page 41 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency. [49230]
§ Yvette CooperSince the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency was prepared, the criteria in the assessment method for obtaining IiP accreditation have changed. Given the cyclical nature of some of the key processes, such as business planning and performance appraisal, the target date of April 2001 was deferred. The FSA now plans to begin to seek accreditation by the end of 2002. In support of this an action plan has been developed. The IiP website for the agency has also been established and is available to all staff.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the consultation(a) began and (b) ended on the hazard analysis and critical control points strategy prepared by the Food Standards Agency; [49239]
(2) with reference to the 2000 spending review service delivery agreement targets, what percentage of food premises have implemented HACCP food safety management systems; [49235]
(3) when the Food Standards Agency strategy was implemented for the promotion of hazard analysis and critical control points throughout the food chain. [49238]
§ Yvette CooperThe paper on the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) strategy, which was submitted to the board of the Food Standards Agency in November 2001, was produced following consultation with a range of organisations and relevant stakeholders.
On the basis of a questionnaire sent to UK local authorities in September 2001, the FSA estimates that about 20 per cent. of food businesses operate HACCP based controls.
The FSA is now considering detailed measures to take forward the HACCP action plan to implement the HACCP strategy.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action has been taken following the Research Review Group chaired by Sir John Arbuthnot review of the Food Standards Agency's future strategy for research; [49224]
(2) if he will make a statement on the outcome of the review of the Food Standards Agency's research programme. [49253]
§ Yvette CooperThe agency's board has accepted all 34 recommendations of the review of the Food Standards Agency's research portfolio and research management system. Thirteen of these recommendations have been implemented already in the 10 months since the report of114W the review was published, in July 2001. The agency aims to complete the remaining 21 recommendations over the next four years.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what improvements have been made by the Food Standards Agency to hygiene assessment scores, as referred to on page 28 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency. [49242]
§ Yvette CooperInformation on the performance of the meat hygiene service (MHS) against its targets for the year ended 31 March 2001, including that in relation to the improvement in hygiene standards in plants with low hygiene assessment system (HAS) scores, is currently being assembled in order for an assessment to be carried out and reported to the board of the Food Standards Agency. The outcome will be reported in the MHS's annual report and accounts which will be laid before Parliament before the House rises for the summer.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on development work around diversity issues, referred to on page 41 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency; [49228]
(2) if he will make a statement on the preparation of the Food Standards Agency's diversity strategy. [49232]
§ Yvette CooperDevelopment work has covered a range of diversity issues including the recruitment and development of agency staff, diversity training and the setting of agency-specific targets. A diversity action plan has been produced.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the introduction of 360-degree feedback for the senior civil service, referred to on page 41 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency. [49214]
§ Yvette CooperThe first 360-degree feedback programme for members of the senior civil service in the Food Standards Agency has been completed.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what unannounced State Veterinary Service audits have been conducted by the Food Standards Agency in fresh meat establishments as referred to on page 28 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency. [49243]
§ Yvette CooperIn the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 the State Veterinary Service made 173 unannounced visits to fresh meat premises. The purpose of these visits was to audit the Meat Hygiene Service enforcement of the controls on specified risk material.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the service delivery agreement referred to on page 26 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency, what new approaches that harness recent developments in e-technology have been published to provide advice for consumers. [49074]
§ Yvette CooperThe Food Standards Agency website www.food.gov.uk provides an e-mail subscription facility which updates consumers and other stakeholders with food-related news and advice, including food hazard warnings, as they are published. The website is also available as a wireless application protocol facility.
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§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which outside specialists, referred to on page 26 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency, have been appointed to carry out qualitative consumer market research on food safety and standards; and at what cost. [49071]
§ Yvette CooperThe reference on page 26 is to quantitative market research. The Food Standards Agency annual consumer attitudes survey is conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres under Central Office of Information management. The research agency was appointed following a competitive tendering process.
Costs for the most recent survey (conducted in autumn 2001 and published in February 2002) totalled £150,000.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of local authorities have been covered by the Food Standards Agency's targeted audit programme encompassing law reforming local authorities. [49240]
§ Yvette CooperIn line with the targets published in the 2000 spending review service delivery agreement, the Food Standards Agency audited 10 per cent. of local authority food law enforcement services during 2001–02. Local authorities were selected for audit to represent a cross section of authority types, which included low performing local authorities. During 2001–02, 40 local authorities in England, 32 local authorities in Scotland and two in Wales were audited. In Northern Ireland, all five authorities scheduled for audit this year will have been audited by May 2002.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if electronic transmissions of the quarterly returns of local authorities to the Food Standards Agency is undertaken by all local authorities. [49217]
§ Yvette CooperThe vast majority of UK local authorities have submitted their final returns for 2001–02 in an electronic format and others are in the process of doing so. A small number of local authorities are, due to local IT difficulties, unable to make their return electronically. The agency has agreed these local authorities can submit data clerically, and is giving advice on resolving the IT difficulties.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the pieces of independent advice to Ministers which have been published by the Food Standards Agency since its inception. [49076]
§ Yvette CooperThe agency routinely publishes advice to Ministers on issues of public importance and interest.
Since its inception the Food Standards Agency has published, for example, significant advice to Ministers on:
The public health implications of the contamination of certain crops with GM seedsThe proposed MAFF strategy for Scrapie in sheepThe immediate implications of the report of the BSE inquiryIts review of BSE controlsThe need for measures relating to BSE in French beefImplementation of EU maximum residue levels for pesticides.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the outcome was of the national programme of Food Standards Agency seminars arranged for January to March 2001 to improve the quality of local authority monitoring returns. [49210]
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§ Yvette Cooper12 seminars were conducted in the UK during the period, with a thirteenth in Northern Ireland in July. Some 650 local authority officers received half a day's training and guidance from agency officials on the new monitoring arrangements to be implemented with the introduction of the framework agreement.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the results of the baseline survey by the Food Standards Agency of salmonella in UK retail poultry. [49219]
§ Yvette CooperThe Food Standards Agency survey of fresh and frozen raw chicken on retail sale was carried out between April and June 2001. The overall salmonella contamination level was 5.8 per cent. and these preliminary findings were announced on 16 August 2001.
The level of salmonella contamination is markedly lower than in previous surveys of retail chicken in the UK. The findings from the 2001 survey indicate that substantial progress has been made in tackling this problem in the UK and, as a result, the agency's target of reducing salmonella contamination of UK retail chicken by 50 per cent. in five years has been met ahead of schedule.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the 2000 spending review service delivery agreement targets, if an audit unit within the Food Standards Agency in Scotland and an agreed local authority audit scheme were in place by April 2001. [49236]
§ Yvette CooperFrom 1 April 2001, The Food Standards Agency Scotland have had permanent staff appointed to carry out programmed audits of local authorities in Scotland.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has(a) been taken and (b) is planned, following the informal consultations by the Food Standards Agency on a proposal for an agency register of food business convictions. [49211]
§ Yvette CooperThe Food Standards Agency (FSA) is not proposing to proceed with the establishment of a national register of food business convictions at this time as this would not provide the most effective means for increasing the transparency of standards in food businesses. The FSA is, however, considering other options for achieving increased transparency.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the latest annual survey of consumer attitudes towards food issues and the Food Standards Agency published by the Food Standards Agency. [49047]
§ Yvette CooperThe 2001 study is the second annual survey of over 3,100 people across the UK. As in 2000, food poisoning (59 per cent.) and BSE (55 per cent.) remained the major issues of concern. Nearly half of those questioned felt that food safety standards had improved in the last year. The survey revealed a significant increase in awareness of and confidence in the Food Standards Agency between 2000 and 2001.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Welsh translation of the Food Standards Agency teaching packs "Aliens in our Food", and "The Adventures of Safe-T and the H-Squad" has been prepared. [49220]
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§ Yvette CooperWelsh language versions of these resources have been developed and copies were distributed by Food Standards Agency Wales to all primary and secondary schools in Wales, as appropriate, during 2000.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to 2000 spending review service delivery agreement targets referred to on page 28 of the 2001 report of the Food Standards Agency, what audits of local authorities targeting specific policy issues are to be undertaken by the Food Standards Agency in 2002–03. [49237]
§ Yvette CooperThe audit programme for the first quarter of 2002–03 has been announced and is under way. The audit programme for the remainder of 2002–03 is currently being considered by the Food Standards Agency and a paper is to be presented at the next board meeting in May. This will address whether the future audit programme should include audits targeting specific enforcement policy issues.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the service delivery agreement target of the Food Standards Agency to develop a new framework agreement with local authorities by 1 April 2001 to promote high and consistent standards of enforcement throughout the UK was met by 1 April 2001. [49245]
§ Yvette CooperYes. The framework agreement on local authority food law enforcement was published on 29 September 2000. The agreement came fully into effect from 1 April 2001 with the launch of the agency's programme of audits. The agreement includes a standard for enforcement which local authorities are expected to achieve and are audited against.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the upgrade of the Food Standards Agency website, referred to on page 40 of the 2001 Food Standards Agency report, has been completed. [49218]
§ Yvette CooperThe upgrade to the Food Standards Agency website was completed on 10 December 2001 when the site relaunched as www.food.gov.uk.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the performance of the Food Standards Agency in encouraging local authorities to publish local information about hygiene standards in food premises. [49080]
§ Yvette CooperThis is a matter for the Food Standards Agency.
The Food Standards Agency's framework agreement on local authority food law enforcement which came fully into effect from 1 April 2001 requires that local authorities publish local service plans to provide transparency about local food law enforcement services. Local authorities are required to set out in the service plan information about their planned food inspection programme based on the number, type and level of risk of food premises in their area. Service plans are inspected and assessed as part of the agency's audit of local authority food law enforcement services.
On 1 March 2002 the Food Standards Agency Wales joined forces with Welsh local authorities to launch a national food hygiene award scheme which aims to raise food hygiene standards and consumer confidence by 118W providing public recognition for food businesses that have excellent hygiene procedures in place. Subject to the success of this scheme, it may be used as a model to help improve transparency of standards more widely.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many board meetings of the Food Standards Agency have been held in public. [49077]
§ Yvette CooperSince its establishment in April 2000, the board of the Food Standards Agency has held 17 meetings in public.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Local Authority Enforcement Liaison Group in reviewing the operation of the framework agreement developed by the Food Standards Agency for the promotion of high and consistent standards of food safety enforcement throughout the United Kingdom. [49222]
§ Yvette CooperThis is a matter for the Food Standards Agency. The framework agreement on local authority food law enforcement came fully into effect in April 2001 and is subject to an annual review by the Local Authority Enforcement Liaison Group, which in November 2001 was renamed the Enforcement Liaison Group. The Enforcement Liaison Group has completed its first annual review of the framework agreement and changes were issued to local authorities and other relevant bodies on 2 April 2002. The agency believe that the Enforcement Liaison Group is making a major contribution to food safety enforcement.