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 planned increase in meat inspection charges by the Food Standards Agency on smaller abattoirs.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has calculated annual charge rates for controls conducted in meat premises in 2025/26 for England and Wales and has indicated that charges will continue to be offset by a taxpayer-funded discount scheme in that financial year. As in previous years it is the FSA’s intention that the discount for 2025/26 will provide the greatest proportional support to smaller businesses. The FSA is engaging with industry representative bodies on the charge rates and full details of these will be communicated to stakeholders and published on the FSA website at the end of February 2025. A separate exercise is being conducted in relation to Northern Ireland.