Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Food Standard Agency’s official control charges on the viability of small and medium sized abattoirs.

Information on the 2025/26 charge rates for official controls, or inspections, conducted in meat premises is available on the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) website at the following link:

https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/charges-for-controls-in-meat-premises

As in previous years, the impact of charges will be offset by a discount which provides the greatest proportional support to smaller businesses. The impact of the discount on different sized food businesses in England and Wales for 2025/26 is set out in the Cost Data Slides the FSA has published.

The FSA has conducted an evaluation of the current discount scheme which began with a Call for Evidence in autumn 2024. Extensive stakeholder engagement and consideration by the FSA Board in its public meetings has followed which has informed proposals for a revised scheme. At its public meeting on 10 December, the FSA Board agreed to a full public consultation on proposals for a scheme that would direct more targeted support towards smaller abattoirs. The consultation is planned for spring 2026 and will be accompanied by an assessment of impact.