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Lords motion to approve. Amendment to regret disagreed to on division (13 to 30). Original motion agreed to on question.
Lords motion to approve. Amendment to regret disagreed to on division (13 to 30). Original motion agreed to on question.
My Lords, this SI is required as part of the implementation of the border target operating
model, which aims to deliver a streamlined approach to imports that protects public, plant and animal health and minimises friction at the border. The instrument uses powers conferred by the Retained EU Law (Revocation...
My Lords, this SI is required as part of the implementation of the border target operating
model, which aims to deliver a streamlined approach to imports that protects public, plant and animal health and minimises friction at the border. The instrument uses powers conferred by the Retained EU Law (Revocation...
Moved by
Baroness Hoey
Moved by
Baroness Hoey
My Lords, the Official Controls (Amendment) Regulations are in my view deeply problematic, because they effectively render for SPS border purposes that Northern Ireland, along with the rest of the world, is a third country in relation to the rest of the United Kingdom. These regulations have for UK citizens...
My Lords, the Official Controls (Amendment) Regulations are in my view deeply problematic, because they effectively render for SPS border purposes that Northern Ireland, along with the rest of the world, is a third country in relation to the rest of the United Kingdom. These regulations have for UK citizens...
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for introducing these regulations and explaining them in such detail. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, on tabling the regret amendment, which means that the matter can be debated properly in this Chamber and given the scrutiny that it deserves. Far...
My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for introducing these regulations and explaining them in such detail. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, on tabling the regret amendment, which means that the matter can be debated properly in this Chamber and given the scrutiny that it deserves. Far...
My Lords, I strongly agree with everything that the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, has said. The whole rationale for the Irish Sea border was that there could not be a hard border in the island of Ireland. It was never that there could be no border, not least because the...
My Lords, I strongly agree with everything that the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, has said. The whole rationale for the Irish Sea border was that there could not be a hard border in the island of Ireland. It was never that there could be no border, not least because the...
My Lords, I will make only a few brief comments. I thank the Minister for bringing forward the legislation in the first place, and the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, for her amendment. What she says is absolutely right, but the difficulties and problems did not start with these retained EU...
My Lords, I will make only a few brief comments. I thank the Minister for bringing forward the legislation in the first place, and the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, for her amendment. What she says is absolutely right, but the difficulties and problems did not start with these retained EU...
Like my colleagues, I support the regret amendment put down by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey. I preface my remarks by thanking the Minister for the gracious manner in which she has always dealt with concerns expressed by noble Lords, even when those opinions were very different from those of...
Like my colleagues, I support the regret amendment put down by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey. I preface my remarks by thanking the Minister for the gracious manner in which she has always dealt with concerns expressed by noble Lords, even when those opinions were very different from those of...
My Lords, as ever, I thank the Minister, as did the noble Lord, Lord McCrea, for her detailed explanation of these regulations, as well as for her tireless work in trying to find solutions to this complex set of issues.
As is now customary in these debates, there are really two...
My Lords, as ever, I thank the Minister, as did the noble Lord, Lord McCrea, for her detailed explanation of these regulations, as well as for her tireless work in trying to find solutions to this complex set of issues.
As is now customary in these debates, there are really two...
My Lords, I too am very grateful to the Minister for setting out the main provisions of the instrument before us this evening, and to the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, for bringing the debate to the Chamber this evening. I also thank all other noble Lords for contributing to a...
My Lords, I too am very grateful to the Minister for setting out the main provisions of the instrument before us this evening, and to the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, for bringing the debate to the Chamber this evening. I also thank all other noble Lords for contributing to a...
My Lords, I start by saying that I am very grateful to all noble Lords who have taken an interest in this instrument and for all contributions. I also thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, for bringing her regret amendment before the House and enabling us to debate it in...
My Lords, I start by saying that I am very grateful to all noble Lords who have taken an interest in this instrument and for all contributions. I also thank the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, for bringing her regret amendment before the House and enabling us to debate it in...
My Lords, first, I thank the Minister for her usual generous response and the way she has handled all these SIs, where a lot of what is being said is outside her responsibility. We are very grateful as Members from Northern Ireland that she is willing to meet us so...
My Lords, first, I thank the Minister for her usual generous response and the way she has handled all these SIs, where a lot of what is being said is outside her responsibility. We are very grateful as Members from Northern Ireland that she is willing to meet us so...
My Lords, I support this legislation but I accept completely the argument made by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, and the noble Lord,
Lord Dodds, about it throwing a light on the flexibility. I think the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, used “flexibility” four times in her introduction. The flexibility, the...
My Lords, I support this legislation but I accept completely the argument made by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, and the noble Lord,
Lord Dodds, about it throwing a light on the flexibility. I think the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, used “flexibility” four times in her introduction. The flexibility, the...
My Lords, I welcome my noble friend the Minister to the Front Bench, as well as the noble Lord, Lord Caine, on behalf of the Opposition, and the noble Baroness, Lady Suttie, on behalf of the Liberal Democrats. I declare my interest as a member of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny...
My Lords, I welcome my noble friend the Minister to the Front Bench, as well as the noble Lord, Lord Caine, on behalf of the Opposition, and the noble Baroness, Lady Suttie, on behalf of the Liberal Democrats. I declare my interest as a member of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny...
My Lords, I rise to support the regret amendment moved by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey. She has made most of the main points in her remarks and I can only endorse them. It is getting late and it is not right to rerun the bigger arguments about Brexit at...
My Lords, I rise to support the regret amendment moved by the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey. She has made most of the main points in her remarks and I can only endorse them. It is getting late and it is not right to rerun the bigger arguments about Brexit at...
Motion to consider. Agreed to on question.
Motion to consider. Agreed to on question.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Food Standards Agency plans to conduct targeted testing of food products in areas with high concentrations of abandoned lead mines.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Food Standards Agency plans to conduct targeted testing of food products in areas with high concentrations of abandoned lead mines.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is planning to review dietary lead as part of its rolling programme of risk analysis of environmental contaminants in food. This will include consideration of areas where exposure is likely to be higher.
Previous reviews of lead have shown that while exposures are not a health concern for the majority of the population, a small risk to some individuals arising from exposure to high levels of lead in soil, dust, or in drinking water cannot be excluded. The FSA has started scoping this work, including considering what, if any, additional sampling may be required as well as identifying what information is already available to inform the assessment.
Local authorities are responsible for inspecting contaminated land and addressing any issues arising from it under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Public Health England, now the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), has issued advice about the use of potentially contaminated residential land for food. The UKHSA says that, to date, there is very limited data linking any health effects with land contamination in England. People should follow normal hygiene precautions and wash their hands thoroughly after working in the garden or an allotment, especially when in contact with soil and before handling food or drink. It is further advised that produce grown in the soil is washed and peeled, in order to remove any soil or dust.
The outcome of our review will inform the need for additional guidance or other risk management measures, such as changes to permitted levels in different food categories.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the number of food samples tested for lead contamination per year by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the number of food samples tested for lead contamination per year by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
The levels of lead testing in the United Kingdom are determined in accordance with legislative requirements which provide food safety assurances to both domestic consumers as well as export markets. Sampling levels are reviewed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) each year to ensure that they are proportionate to livestock production; of note, the VMD has effectively tripled annual lead testing for sheep and bovine animals from 2024 to provide further guarantees on safety of these foodstuffs. The results of said testing are published by VMD on a quarterly basis and can be found on the VMD’s GOV.UK webpage here.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on conducting lead level tests on food products sold in local shops within areas known to have high levels of environmental lead contamination.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on conducting lead level tests on food products sold in local shops within areas known to have high levels of environmental lead contamination.
Lead is a naturally occurring contaminant in the environment. Independent scientific expert groups advise that exposure to lead should be reduced as much as possible. Maximum levels are set on the ‘as low as reasonably achievable’ basis. Levels focus on foods that are significant contributors to our intake, and eggs are not significant contributors so there are no maximum levels in place. Where maximum levels are not set, enforcement action for commercially produced foods can be taken if there is a food safety concern. Consideration of setting maximum levels will also take into account levels set by international bodies such as the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) keeps contaminants, including lead in food, under review. Lead in the diet has been reviewed several times by the United Kingdom’s independent Scientific Advisory Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), including lead in the diet of infants and young children, and an ongoing review on the potential effects of lead on the maternal diet. Previous reviews have shown that while lead exposures are not of health concern for the majority of the population, a small risk to some individuals arising from exposure to high levels of lead in soil, dust, or in drinking water cannot be excluded.
The FSA is planning to review dietary lead as part of its rolling programme of risk analysis of environmental contaminants in food. This will include consideration of hot spots where exposure is likely to be higher. Advice will be provided to ministers who will make the decision on any changes to maximum levels. The FSA has worked with farming groups and industry on advice to farmers on preventing lead contamination of livestock, which includes practical suggestions for areas of the country with high levels of lead in the soil.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency undertakes investigations on farms for the FSA, where we are notified that farm food-producing animals may have been exposed to chemicals which could impact food safety. Advice is provided to the farmer as well as a reminder of their responsibilities to protect the food chain and comply with maximum levels.
Food Chain Information (FCI) requires farmers to indicate the health status of their farm, that withdrawal periods of veterinary medicines have been complied with, as well as other information related to public health. Where relevant this may include information on where elevated levels of lead have been found. As a precautionary measure, some abattoir operators voluntarily dispose of certain offal, such as liver, from old animals, as these are likely to accumulate more residues. Food Business Operators (FBOs) and Official Vets (OVs) review the FCI before any animal is slaughtered. Where there are concerns with the information provided, action is taken by the FBO and monitored by the OV, based on the information provided in the FCI.
The FSA uses evidence from national and international agencies, local enforcement authorities, the food manufacturing industry, food retailers, and the public, to help us respond rapidly to any problems in our food supply. Incident notification systems help us to alert consumers if food becomes contaminated. Lead is included in the national monitoring plan for products of animal origin and if non-compliance is found, appropriate action will be taken by local authorities. In addition, food businesses and local authorities complete risk-based checks to ensure the food we buy is safe.