Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when food safety problems emerge at a facility covered by the Food Standards Agency primary authority (PA) scheme, but not located in the jurisdiction of the local authority that is the PA, which local authority is responsible for inspecting and auditing that facility.

Primary Authority is a scheme administered by the Office for Product Safety and Standards on behalf of my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to improve businesses’ access to advice, and co-ordination of local authority regulation of businesses, including food standards regulation. National regulators such as the Foods Standards Agency may provide support to primary authorities.

Where a primary authority relationship exists with a food manufacturer/retailer, the local authority in whose area a facility is located remains responsible for dealing with food safety problems including enforcement of the food standards regulation in their local authority area.