A new Operations Group for the Food Standards Agency

This will take effect from 1 April 2010 when the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) and FSA merge. Steve McGrath, currently Chief Executive of the Meat Hygiene Service, will act as interim Director of the Operations Group until the post is advertised and filled through open competition.

The decision to form the FSA Operations Group is rooted in our priority to always put consumers first, and the desire to streamline and improve the Agency's approach to compliance with official food and feed controls across the United Kingdom.

All the FSA's operational delivery functions will come together under one new FSA Operations Group.

The Operations Group will have UK responsibility for delivery of official controls (such as dairy hygiene, eggs and shellfish) through other enforcement agencies including Department for Food and Rural Affairs Animal Health, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland, and the Scottish Government's Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate. Additionally the Group will continue to work closely to support the work of Local Authority enforcement of food and feed hygiene and food standards.

All existing regulatory functions undertaken by MHS operational staff in approved meat premises will continue to be undertaken by the same staff in the same way. As the MHS does not operate in Northern Ireland, the equivalent service will continue to be provided by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on behalf of the Agency.

Anticipated benefits of the new Operations Group include:

· Providing coordinated and consistent support to UK food and feed businesses and delivery partners to help compliance with official controls and other statutory requirements.

· Ensuring that regulation is effective, risk based and proportionate.

· Improving the sharing of knowledge, information and expertise throughout the Operations Group to provide a better understanding of which interventions are most effective in delivering compliance.

· A consistent and targeted UK approach will contribute to improvements in public protection of food safety and a reduction in instances of food borne illness.

· A structure that will help deliver strategic objectives in line with external expectations and drivers – for example, the recommendations arising from the 2009 Report of the Public Inquiry into the September 2005 outbreak of E.coli O157 in South Wales and recommendations of EU Food and Veterinary Office Missions.

· Driving internal improvements for efficiency and effectiveness, freeing up resources to enable work on the issues that will really make a difference to food safety.

· Savings of approximately £2 million are forecast to be generated through the merger, mainly through back office efficiencies.

Creation of the FSA Operations Group will improve the effectiveness of the FSA as a regulator, improve public health protection, and build on and strengthen our relationship with our stakeholders.

If there are others in your organisation, authority or department who need to be aware of the contents of this letter please cascade as necessary. I hope that you will continue to work with us to ensure we deliver our strategic plan outcomes.

Yours sincerely,
TIM J SMITH
Food Standards Agency (FSA)