Cabinet Member:
Councillor Dafydd Meurig
Consider the Head of Environment’s Report
Minutes:
a)
Submitted
– the report of the Head of Environment updating Members on the progress made
by the Public Protection Service in addressing the recommendations of the Food
Standards Agency’s audit that took place in February 2016.
It was reported that the Service had provided a
detailed action plan to address the 34 recommendations. It was highlighted that 21 of the
recommendations had been addressed thus far with the work to meet the other 13
continuing. It was added that some of
the recommendations that had not been addressed were dependent on referring
more resources to the Service. It was
reported that the Service had seen a substantial reduction in staff as a result
of the cuts system, however, it continued to try and prioritise work. Despite this, it was noted that low risk
establishments did not receive inspections within the time-schedule recommended
by the Food Standards Agency. It was also reported that the qualifications of
the Food Standards Agency, which was an independent body inspecting an ideal
situation, was high, but the service now offered training to address this.
It was noted that there were over 2000
food establishments within the rural area of Gwynedd and 1500 of these were
inspected annually. In terms of
performance, it was reported that 98% of the food establishments across the
County scored between 3 and 5 which was very good. It was added that the
service also looked to ensure that it was possible for officers to work more
effectively by being out in the field rather than to duplicate administrative/additional
work in the office. It was noted that food establishments appreciated the
Service and offered positive feedback on the work. It was added that the Service supported the
local economy by undertaking these inspections.
b)
During the discussion the following observations
were noted:
·
Concern that the Service did not have sufficient
resources to fully achieve the requirements of the Food Standards Agency.
·
There was a need to improve staff qualifications
·
It
was necessary to frequently monitor the situation
·
That priority should be given to high risk
establishments
·
Consideration should be given to charging a fee for
visits or a penalty for non-compliance
a)
In
response to a comment regarding improving qualifications, it was noted that a
series of training sessions had been conducted and the service was likely to
attain the expected level.
In response to a comment regarding charging a fee for visits, it was
noted that this had been discussed nationally, however, as the work was
statutory, it was not possible to generate income. It was added that there was not much scope to
charge a fee for work in this field but there was a right to provide advice and
it may be possible to consider this.
RESOLVED
·
That the Committee
was content that the majority of the recommendations had been achieved,
however, there was concern regarding the lack of resources to achieve the
statutory work within the time-schedule which created a risk to the Council and
the the County's residents.
·
That the service
achieved good work under challenging circumstances.
·
To
propose that the Department presents more information and facts in order to
challenge the need for more resources to address the statutory requirements.
Supporting documents: