Meat Hygiene Service charges

Citation

Jukes, D. (2000), "Meat Hygiene Service charges", British Food Journal, Vol. 102 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/bfj.2000.070102bab.001

Meat Hygiene Service charges

Nick Brown, Agriculture Minister, announced on 1 December that meat hygiene service charges paid at slaughterhouses, cutting plants and cold stores for work done by Meat Hygiene Service staff, would be frozen for this year and be raised by on or around the rate of inflation next year.

Speaking after attending the Beef Industry breakfast given by the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, Mr Brown said:

In April this year, I said I would postpone consulting on new MHS charges to be paid by the meat industry, pending the outcome of a review of such charges. In September, I said that I was not proceeding with proposed charges for Specified Rendered Material inspections and that I was considering when to open consultations on the level of hygiene inspection charges for 1999/2000. Today I can announce that hygiene inspection charges for the whole of 1999/2000 are being held at the levels fixed for 1998/1999.

I can also give a commitment that the rates of hygiene inspection charges in 2000/2001 should not rise by more than the rate of inflation above those currently in place. This will be welcomed by the industry.