Enforcement strategy
The Food Standards Agency is looking to introduce fundamental changes to the whole approach to food law enforcement by local authorities. The aim is to provide local authorities with a suite of flexible interventions for improving business compliance.
To develop this work, the Agency's Enforcement Division is leading a major policy review called the Changes to Local Authority Enforcement (CLAE) project.
An information paper for the FSA Board meeting held on 12 October 2006 and a letter to Chief Executives of local authorities in England about the new vision for food law enforcement by local authorities can be found at the links below.
Scope of CLAE
The CLAE project is to oversee the four policy reviews being set up to implement the ideas from the Hampton review, and from the paper produced in 2005 on the top 5 priorities for enforcement in the Agency. These reviews are:
- the review of enforcement policy, to introduce the policy of interventions
- the review of monitoring
- the review of audit arrangements
- the review of the Framework Agreement
Each of these reviews will have its own organisational structure within England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and progress on each will be reported to the CLAE Policy Board.
Current plans envisage that the final completion of all the reviews will be achieved in December 2007.
Further information on the Hampton Review and the Agency's work on better regulation can be found at the links below.
Related links
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Policy Board
The Changes to Local Authority Enforcement (CLAE) Policy Board, chaired by David Statham, Director of Enforcement, provides strategic direction to the CLAE project. Membership includes representatives from FSA Scotland, FSA Wales and FSA Northern Ireland, and external stakeholders.
Management Group
The Changes to Local Authority Enforcement (CLAE) Management Group, which reports to the CLAE Policy Board, is chaired by Julie Monk, Head of Enforcement, with internal FSA members, including FSA Scotland, FSA Wales and FSA Northern Ireland.
New Vision Newsletter
A newsletter for local authorities on the Changes to Local Authority Enforcement (CLAE) project is available. CLAE is a major review and is designed to implement the policy of a range interventions for improving business compliance with food law.
Review of food law enforcement monitoring system
The review of the food law enforcement monitoring system will formally report to the Enforcement Liaison Group (ELG), via the Framework Agreement Sub Group.
Review of the Food Law Code of Practice (England)
The key proposals in the review are the introduction of the concept of interventions and the redefining of official controls, as well as moving all food establishments into a risk-based inspection regime.
Review of the Food Law Code of Practice (Northern Ireland)
The key proposals in the review are the introduction of the concept of interventions and the redefining of official controls, as well as moving all food establishments into a risk-based inspection regime.