Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of amending the inspection regime for small and medium sized abattoirs to reduce cost and allow for a reduction in the Food Standards Agency’s inspection charges.

All approved abattoirs are subject to the same regulatory framework for food safety and animal welfare controls which are set in assimilated European Union law and are currently prescriptive, and divergence could restrict British access to EU and other markets. Previous discussions with the meat industry on a two-tier system for large and small producers concluded that the risk of damaging relationships with international partners, who insist on the application of these regulations as the basis for trade, was too high.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) applies available flexibilities to small abattoir operators where possible, including reduced Official Veterinarian attendance at certain small abattoirs. The FSA has worked with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs on extending these regulatory flexibilities, however, these discussions are now part of wider negotiations on the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.

The FSA review of its charging system has identified the importance of the small abattoir sector, and the FSA Board gave direction for the discount system to be focused on this sector.