Draft Regulations setting out proposals for the licensing of retail butchers’ shops were issued for a three month public consultation on 23 February this year [see 23 February 1998]. Provisions set out in the draft Regulations included:

• the proposal that retail butchers would be subject to annual licensing by Food Authorities;
• a prescribed license application charge of £100;
• the following licensing conditions: compliance with existing hygiene regulations, in particular the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 and the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995; that documented HACCP procedures are in place, and enhanced staff hygiene training, including training in the HACCP system for at least one member of staff at supervisory level.

Across the UK, 240 organisations responded to the consultation, 176 from England alone. These replies have been considered in conjunction with the findings of the Fatal Accident Inquiry Determination into the Lanarkshire deaths, which was published in August. The next step in progressing the licensing proposals, following Ministerial agreement, is to notify the proposed Regulations to the European Commission for examination as required by EC law, a process which normally takes three months. Subject to the outcome of this process, we aim to have the Regulations on the statute book early next year with the licensing regime coming into effect by late summer/early autumn 1999 after a lead-in period, as envisaged in the consultation proposals.