FSA Board & Business Committee Meetings - September 2021
The agenda and papers for the FSA Board Meeting and Business Committee Meeting on 15 September 2021. The video recording and minutes be added here in due course.
The first meeting with Professor Susan Jebb as chair is on Wednesday 15 September 2021.
The agenda includes:
- FSA/FSS Annual Food Standards Report
- Genome Editing
- Animal Welfare Update
- Operational Transformation Programme - Future Delivery Model Public Consultation
- Incidents and Resilience Annual Report
The FSA Business Committee Meeting follows the FSA Board meeting.
09:00 - Chair's introduction
Professor Susan Jebb presents the minutes and actions from the previous FSA Board meeting in June 2021. Also, Professor Jebb shares the questions received in advance of the Board meeting and the Chair's report.
09:10 - The Chief Executive's report to the FSA Board
Emily Miles presents the Chief Executive's report to the FSA Board. It features the National Food Strategy review, the recent cat food incident, and the upcoming import controls.
09:35 - FSA and FSS Annual Food Standards Report
Rebecca Sudworth and Anjali Juneja present plans for a new annual report on food standards by the Food Standaard Agency and Food Standards Scotland that will assess the state of the nation’s plate.
09:55 - Operational Transformation Update (OTP) Public Consultation on the Future Delivery Model
Colin Sullivan and Richard Wynn-Davies provide an update on the Operational Transformation Programme (OTP) paper presented to the FSA Board on 26 May 2021 and following a public consultation. It proposes to modernise the regulatory framework for Official Controls we deliver at the FSA.
10:15 - Genome Editing Regulation Consultation
Rebecca Sudworth, Sabrina Roberts, and Michael Wight with an update on our role in any possible future changes to the regulation of Genome Editing (GE) in England.
10:30 - Break
10:45 - Welsh Food Advisory Committee (WFAC) report
Peter Price, Julie Pierce, and Nathan Barnhouse provide a joint report from the WFAC Chair and the Director of the FSA in Wales. It outlines key activities of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Wales in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and in ensuring that we have in place suitable arrangements post-EU Exit.
11:00 - Northern Ireland Food Advisory Committee (NIFAC) report
Colm McKenna and Maria Jennings outline the work carried out by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland (NI) in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and in ensuring that we have in place suitable arrangements post-EU Exit to fulfil the requirements of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland (the Protocol).
It also includes an update on the progress of the FSA’s programme of work in NI, highlights from the Northern Ireland Food Advisory Committee (NIFAC) discussions and key upcoming priorities for the FSA in NI.
11:15 - Annual Governance Report
Ruth Hussey presents the Annual Governance Report, which includes recommendations to adjustment our Terms of References and Standing Orders.
11:25 - Annual Report from Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC)
Colm McKenna shares a summary of the work undertaken by ARAC during 2020/21 in accordance with the ARAC’s Terms of Reference.
11:35 - Reports from the Chairs of the Food Advisory Committees
Oral reports from the Chairs of the Food Advisory Committees by Colm McKenna and Peter Price.
11:40 - Any other business
End of Board Meeting
Following the FSA Board meeting, this Business Committee meeting, also chaired by Professor Susan Jebb, will cover the Performance and Resources report, the Animal Welfare update and the Incidents and Resilience Unit (IRU) annual report.
12:30 - Chair's Introduction
Professor Susan Jebb presents the minutes and actions from the previous FSA Business Committee meeting in June 2021.
12:35 - Chief Executive’s Report to the Business Committee
Emily Miles presents the Chief Executive's report to the Business Committee, which includes updates on the pressures in recruitment and retention of Official Vets (OVs), and how Field Operations have continued to maintain service delivery during the pandemic.
12:55 - Performance and Resources report
Pam Beadman and Craig Thomas present the Quarter 1 2021-22 performance and resources update including, Officials Controls Delivery, consumer views, and delivery of corporate priorities.
13:10 - Animal Welfare update
Colin Sullivan and Darren Whitby provide an update on FSA activities delivered through the ‘Deter, Prevent, Detect, Enforce’ animal welfare programme and its objective of making ongoing improvements in slaughterhouses in England and Wales.
13:25 - Break
13:35 - Incidents and Resilience Unit (IRU) annual report
Colin Sullivan, Philip Randles, and Rajwinder Ubhi outline the work undertaken by the Incidents & Resilience Unit (IRU) and Consumer Protection teams across England, Northern Ireland and Wales to ensure that the UK’s capability to detect, respond and prevent food and feed safety incidents is optimal, given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the end of the EU Exit transition period.
13:50 - Annual report: Freedom of Information requests, external complaints, and internal whistleblowing cases
Maria Jennings, Julie Pierce, Noel Sykes, and Jenny Desira presents data and commentary on the FSA’s management of:
- requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI)
- external complaints
- and internal ‘whistleblowing and raising a concern’ cases
14:05 - Annual update on antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
Rick Mumford updates on the FSA’s science activities concerning antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the food chain, conducted since the previous paper was presented to the Board in August 2020. It also sets out how these activities are addressing the food safety section within the wider UK AMR National Action Plan (NAP).
14:10 - Any other business