Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of levels of compliance with UK food hygiene standards.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for food safety and hygiene in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The FSA also monitors and oversees the inspections undertaken by local authorities.

The FSA publishes an annual review of food standards across the United Kingdom, with Our Food 2024 being the most recently published report, which is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69d91488eb7e7bc565170248/Our-Food-2024.pdf

Further information can also be found in the FSA’s Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts (2024-25) at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69383df033c7ace9c4a41e7a/Consolidated_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2024-25.pdf#page=21

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, which applies in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, is an FSA and local authority partnership initiative, providing consumers with information about hygiene standards found in food business establishments at the time of local authority inspections. Of those businesses in-scope of the scheme, as of the end of March 2026, 96.9% have a rating of 3, generally satisfactory, or better, and 77.5% of businesses have achieved the top rating of 5, very good.