Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 28 February 2013
28 Feb 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Food Safety Body
I thank Richard Simpson for welcoming the approach that we are taking in establishing a new food body here in Scotland. He referred to the timeframe since the publication of the Scudamore review, which was towards the end of June last year. I am sure that he will appreciate that creating a new food safety body is a very complex task and that it is important that we take the time to ensure that we manage that properly.
We have been engaging with stakeholders. At the end of last year, the Food Standards Agency held a major event with 57 different organisations, which all had a view on how the new food safety body in Scotland should be shaped. We wanted to take the time to gather those views and feed them into the consultation that we are now undertaking as part of our move towards legislating in this area.
I reassure Richard Simpson that this is nothing to do with the horsemeat scandal; it is part of the process that we were following anyway. We have taken a bit of extra time over the past couple of weeks to make sure that the consultation document that we are publishing this afternoon reflects some of the issues around the horsemeat scandal that have been picked up over the past few weeks.
Richard Simpson asked about the provision of lab facilities and resources. One of the things that the expert group that I am setting up, which will report before the recess, will do is engage with local authorities and others to look at current capacity to see whether additional capacity needs to be provided here in Scotland. It will also feed into the consultation exercise views on what immediate action we can take and what further action the new body should take.
We have protected the FSA’s resources here in Scotland. The underspend that I referred to was due to the fact that some research and consumer affairs engagement programmes did not materialise as intended. We have given a commitment to maintain the budget going forward. If we add further functions to the new food standards agency, we will have to reflect on the resources that are deployed to allow it to carry them out effectively.
The people of Scotland can have great confidence in the way in which the Food Standards Agency in Scotland has performed over the past couple of weeks in relation to the horsemeat scandal. They can have confidence that it will continue to function effectively as we move towards creating the new body in Scotland. It is appropriate that we take our time to do that in a managed way, so that we can make sure that we have a system that is robust and in which the public can have confidence.
We have been engaging with stakeholders. At the end of last year, the Food Standards Agency held a major event with 57 different organisations, which all had a view on how the new food safety body in Scotland should be shaped. We wanted to take the time to gather those views and feed them into the consultation that we are now undertaking as part of our move towards legislating in this area.
I reassure Richard Simpson that this is nothing to do with the horsemeat scandal; it is part of the process that we were following anyway. We have taken a bit of extra time over the past couple of weeks to make sure that the consultation document that we are publishing this afternoon reflects some of the issues around the horsemeat scandal that have been picked up over the past few weeks.
Richard Simpson asked about the provision of lab facilities and resources. One of the things that the expert group that I am setting up, which will report before the recess, will do is engage with local authorities and others to look at current capacity to see whether additional capacity needs to be provided here in Scotland. It will also feed into the consultation exercise views on what immediate action we can take and what further action the new body should take.
We have protected the FSA’s resources here in Scotland. The underspend that I referred to was due to the fact that some research and consumer affairs engagement programmes did not materialise as intended. We have given a commitment to maintain the budget going forward. If we add further functions to the new food standards agency, we will have to reflect on the resources that are deployed to allow it to carry them out effectively.
The people of Scotland can have great confidence in the way in which the Food Standards Agency in Scotland has performed over the past couple of weeks in relation to the horsemeat scandal. They can have confidence that it will continue to function effectively as we move towards creating the new body in Scotland. It is appropriate that we take our time to do that in a managed way, so that we can make sure that we have a system that is robust and in which the public can have confidence.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
Good afternoon. The first item of business is a statement by Michael Matheson on Scotland’s new food safety body. The minister will take questions at the end...
The Minister for Public Health (Michael Matheson)
SNP
I would like to update Parliament on the specific action that the Government is taking to reinforce and improve the food safety and standards regime in Scotl...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The minister will take questions on the issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to the...
Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. We welcome the establishment of a food standards agency in Scotland, which will be separate from ...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I thank Richard Simpson for welcoming the approach that we are taking in establishing a new food body here in Scotland. He referred to the timeframe since th...
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I, too, thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement. I welcome his intention to set up a short-life expert group to consider what might be learn...
Michael Matheson
SNP
One of the things that were considered in Professor Scudamore’s review of the changes to the FSA and the changes that should take place here in Scotland was ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Many members wish to ask the minister a question. I make a plea for questions that are as brief as possible and, minister, for answers that are as brief as y...
Aileen McLeod (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Will the minister expand on what the Food Standards Agency in Scotland and the Scottish Government have learned from the recent food scandal?
Michael Matheson
SNP
The scandal has highlighted the extent to which individuals will go to defraud the system and a weakness in the actions and responsibilities of manufacturers...
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
As the minister will know, the number of meat inspectors has halved since 2008. While that is partly due to a reduction in the number of premises requiring i...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I hope that the member has been reassured by my statement that the primary focus and overall objective of the new food safety body in Scotland will be consum...
Rob Gibson (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)
SNP
Will the minister provide details of the additional powers that the new food body would require to make retailers display in full their quality standard rati...
Michael Matheson
SNP
A lesson that we can learn from the current incident is that the public would like to be made much more readily available information about the type of testi...
Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (LD)
LD
I thank the minister for the advance copy of his statement and I commend the approach to the issue that he has outlined to Parliament today. I also commend t...
Michael Matheson
SNP
The new food body in Scotland will be funded in the same way that the FSA in Scotland is funded, which is through the consolidated grant to the Scottish Gove...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
The minister referred to “a broader role and new responsibilities” for the new food body. Will the minister—or, indeed, a ministerial colleague—therefore tak...
Michael Matheson
SNP
Christine Grahame raises a very important point. Some Scottish abattoirs have found the UK regulations that have been introduced challenging—there has been a...
Claudia Beamish (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
As the minister said in his statement, there is much at stake. After all, the food that we eat is vital in ensuring that we live longer and healthier lives. ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I am sorry, Ms Beamish—I think that you have asked your question.
Michael Matheson
SNP
The East Ayrshire example can certainly be discussed by Richard Lochhead and Mike Russell at next week’s meeting as they explore whether lessons learned from...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I remind members that they should ask only one question.
Nigel Don (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP)
SNP
I note that the minister has said several times that this is about consumer protection and proportionality. Does he agree that it is less about inspections a...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I entirely agree. One benefit of our quality Scottish produce is its traceability and the farm-to-plate quality assurance programmes that have been built in ...
Alex Fergusson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Con
The minister’s statement, for which I thank him, suggests that the new body will have a much wider remit than the current Food Standards Agency in Scotland. ...
Michael Matheson
SNP
First of all, we have not reduced our funding for the FSA; indeed, over the term of this Government, we have probably increased our proportion of spend on th...
Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP)
SNP
What further assurance can the minister provide to current FSA staff that as staff members of the new agency their employment will continue, with their terms...
Michael Matheson
SNP
When I announced that we were accepting Jim Scudamore’s recommendations and moving towards the creation of Scotland’s own food safety body, the staff were on...
Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green)
Green
I thank the minister for early sight of his statement and for its content. Who will sit on the food expert group with Ray Jones? Will there be space for grou...
Michael Matheson
SNP
We have announced who will be chairing both the expert groups. I am more than happy to ensure that we write to all members who have an interest in the matter...