Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting the Food Standards Agency to conduct food hygiene inspections remotely during the covid-19 outbreak to help ensure the safety of food inspectors and food business owners.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has responsibility for hygiene inspections and other interventions – official controls - in abattoirs and meat plants. Local authorities have this responsibility in respect of most other food businesses.

Legislation requires an FSA presence in abattoirs at all times of operation to ensure food safety, and this has continued during the pandemic. In other meat establishments, the FSA is using remote/semi-remote assessment, but onsite visits continue at high-risk businesses.

Local authorities are similarly continuing to conduct onsite visits for high-risk and poorly compliant businesses but can use initial remote assessment to minimise the time onsite.

This approach aims to protect inspectors and those working in food businesses and minimise the spread of the disease while ensuring public health protection in relation to food.