Meeting of the Parliament 09 December 2014
I am delighted to speak today at the last stage of the very welcome Food (Scotland) Bill.
I first put on record my sincere congratulations to our new Minister for Public Health, the member for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Maureen Watt. In the stage 1 debate, I spoke a lot about the north-east and, of course, I recognise that the minister has promoted the north-east of Scotland as the country’s natural larder many times before me. The minister’s experience of the food industry and how to support food producers in the north-east and across Scotland will be a great help in her new role.
I believe that the bill will help Scotland become a healthy nation and a good food nation.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the minister’s predecessor, Mr Matheson, on his announcement of the two senior appointments to lead food standards Scotland: Ross Finnie and Geoff Ogle will bring their own experiences in the food industry. I recently met Geoff Ogle in his office in Aberdeen and I am delighted with the two appointments. My meeting with Mr Ogle, then acting director Scotland at the Food Standards Agency, was to get reassurance that food producers will get a fair deal from any changes that this bill will bring.
The Health and Sport Committee visited one of those producers, a seafood producer based in Aberdeen, in the same street as Maureen Watt’s office in Torry. I know that the minister will be familiar with Joseph Robertson, the family seafood company, founded in 1892, which produces the very best quality sea-to-plate produce. Michael Robertson, the managing director, shared with the committee his concerns about the possible increasing costs for food producers that are associated with this bill. I trust the new agency headed by Geoff Ogle to reassure the industry on that point.
Scotland does not operate in a vacuum at home or abroad. Our Scottish producers have to be able to compete. That is why I believe that new labelling and regulations in Scotland must be accepted in the rest of the UK and in the EU if they are to be enforced.
Richard Simpson talked about a simpler approach to food. There is a need for clarity and transparency. I want to clarify a point that I made in October when debating this bill. The committee reported a discussion with Michael Robertson, managing director of Joseph Robertson, about inspection, in which the important point was made that local authority inspections were not as high quality as retailers’ own inspections. That is why I ask food standards Scotland to show leadership on the issue.
John Sleith, the chairman of the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland, wrote to me and shared his members’ concern that I agreed with Michael Robertson. Let me reassure Mr Sleith that I do not consider major retailers to be above environmental health inspectors, but Mr Robertson has a point—the new agency must provide the benchmark for everyone dealing with food safety.
Food producers, particularly small and medium-sized food producers, cannot afford to spend the amount of money that they spend today on responding to the constant demands of major retailers. To protect the consumer, it is imperative that inspections are of the same quality across Scotland and, to protect the food producers, it is imperative that they are accepted by all major retailers.
I agree with the minister rejecting amendments that would have increased the pressure on health inspectors and the local authorities that fund them.
I believe that the new agency will have a prime role to play. My plea to all members is to support our food industry and to remind Scottish consumers to buy locally and to eat the very best of healthy Scottish food.
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