FSA Consultation Letter, 10 March 2006

ENFORCEMENT - Food Standards Agency priorities for local authority food law enforcement

This consultation seeks views and comments on the Food Standards Agency's list of Regulatory Priorities. Responses are requested by: 2 June 2006

For a copy of the List, see FSA priorities for local authority food law enforcement: List of priorities

Consultation details

At its meeting in October 2005, the Food Standards Agency Board agreed an initial list of high priorities and areas that are not a priority for local authority regulatory services. Please note that the top priorities are not listed in order of importance.

• Do you agree that these are the five key priorities for food law enforcement? If not, what would you suggest as an alternative, and why?
• Do you agree that enforcement could be more passive in the five areas identified as not being a priority? If not, why do you think there is a problem, and can you suggest an alternative?
• Can you envisage any problems or difficulties for either public or private organisations arising from the priorities?

Background to the consultation

As a result of recommendations in the Hampton review, Government departments and national independent regulators have each been asked to set out their initial view of their top five regulatory priorities, counterbalanced by at least five regulatory activities currently undertaken by local authorities where enforcement could be more passive. The aim is to provide a clearer steer to local authorities about what the Agency regards as the most and least important areas of regulatory work to help improve consumer protection with regard to food.

Following extensive internal discussion, the attached priorities were put to the Agency's Board and agreed in October 2005. It was also agreed that a public consultation on the priorities would commence in early 2006.