Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to allow local authorities to charge for extra food hygiene inspections of food businesses that request an extra inspection following a poor score under the Food Standards Agency Food Hygiene Rating System.

Under the scheme operating in England and currently in Northern Ireland, food businesses requesting an extra re-rating inspection between planned inspections by the local authority are not charged. In Wales, where the scheme has a statutory underpinning, charges are made.

The Food Standards Agency is considering the introduction of charging in England for these extra requested re-rating inspections as part of the evidence gathering to support a case for mandatory display of ratings at food outlets.