Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in ensuring that there will be sufficient numbers of fully-qualified (1) official veterinarians, and (2) meat hygiene inspectors, employed (a) in abattoirs, and (b) on farms, in the UK after Brexit.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is continuing to monitor the situation by surveying staff and is in regular discussion with the delivery partner who provides the majority of official veterinarians and meat hygiene inspectors who undertake official controls in abattoirs. Whilst the recruitment landscape remains challenging, the FSA has contingency plans to ensure the effective delivery of official controls in abattoirs continues once the United Kingdom has left the European Union so that food businesses’ operations in abattoirs are supported and that food is safe.

The FSA is responsible for delivery of official controls in relation to primary production of milk and will continue to discharge its responsibilities by increasing capacity and capability in this area. The FSA is not responsible for the delivery of other official controls at farm level, this is being carried out by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency and local authorities.