§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many licensed mobile slaughtermen operate in England and Wales. [80461]
§ Ms BlearsI have been asked to reply.
I am advised on food safety issues by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The licensing of slaughtermen in Great Britain is carried out by the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS), an Executive Agency of the Food Standards Agency, who took over this task from some 300 local authorities on its establishment in 1995.
No separate licence is issued for mobile slaughtermen.
As at 19 November 2002, there are 7,014 valid slaughtermens' licences in Great Britain.