Horsemeat (Supermarket Products) Debate

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Department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Debbie Abrahams

Main Page: Debbie Abrahams (Labour - Oldham East and Saddleworth)

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Oral Answers to Questions

Horsemeat (Supermarket Products)

Debbie Abrahams Excerpts

Business of the House
Thursday 17th January 2013

(11 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Heath Portrait Mr Heath
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That is clearly not the case and is clearly not reflected in anything I have said. I have said all along that the interests of the consumer are paramount.

Debbie Abrahams Portrait Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)
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Is it more or less likely that this sort of food safety scandal will happen again in view of the reduction in food safety surveillance and the downgrading of food safety regulations?

David Heath Portrait Mr Heath
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As I have said, I do not think that there is a downgrading of surveillance. We take the matter extremely seriously and ensure that what we do is targeted in the most effective way in order to pick up irregularities when they occur. It is very important that people recognise that. It is also important to recognise that we had here a system picking up a defect, not ignoring it.

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