CFG
32/06
Letter dated 8 December
2006 from Foodaware to Mrs Olukayode (Kenny) Odukoya, Meat Hygiene
Business Branch, Food Standards Agency:
Dear Mrs Odukoya
The Meat (Official Controls Charges) (England) Regulations
2007
Foodaware: the Consumers’ Food Group coordinates the broad UK
consumer movement’s work on food safety, nutrition and standards.
Our mission is to give UK consumers a strong voice on food policy
by bringing together the organisations that represent them. We also
consult and support the UK consumer representatives on food related
committees, and further the public understanding of science. Our members
are consumer, women’s, family, ethnic minority and enforcement
organisations, who also contribute time and expertise to our representations.
This consultation is about changes to Regulations in order to implement
increases in the charges paid to the Meat Hygiene Service for official
controls at approved meat establishments. These charges have not been
increased since the current arrangements were introduced in 2001 and
are covered by the EU Regulation on Official Feed and Food Controls
[EC 882/2004]. It is intended that the increase in throughput charges
by 3.5% will preserve the charges at approximately their present value
in real terms.
Consumers strongly support appropriate enforcement of legislation,
particularly where it involves food safety and, thereafter, public
health. We consider that governments and independent agencies should
be able to recoup the costs incurred in carrying out inspections and
other control functions but, as concluded in the European arena, not
profit from their actions. This principle seems fair to suppliers,
consumers and to taxpayers.
The approach taken of charging operators based on the throughput of
animals at slaughterhouses and cutting plants also means that the
charges paid by small operators are in relation to the volume of business.
This helps to reduce the regulatory cost that they might otherwise
incur and keep open small slaughterhouses and cutting facilities in
rural areas. The Agency takes the view that it is inappropriate to
subsidise business, and costs should gradually be increased to bring
them closer to full cost recovery. This has not been proposed at present
and the proposals seem reasonable from a consumer perspective.
Yours sincerely
Susan Knox
Chairman
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