Food Hygiene Rating Bill

The Food Hygiene Rating Bill has 20 clauses and one schedule: 

Clause 1 requires district councils to rate the food hygiene standards of food business establishments supplying food direct to consumers, following inspections carried out as part of official controls.

Clause 2 requires district councils to notify a rating to the operator of the establishment within 14 days of carrying out an inspection.

Clause 3 provides operators of food business establishments with a right of appeal against the rating.

Clause 4 provides operators of food business establishments with a right to request a re-rating.

Clause 5 allows operators of food business establishments to make a written reply to the establishment’s rating to the district council, for publication alongside the rating on the Food Standards Agency’s website.

Clauses 6 and 7 set out when a food hygiene rating is valid and places a duty on food business operators to display their valid rating sticker.

Clause 8 requires the operator of a food business to orally inform a person of the food hygiene rating when requested. 

Clause 9 requires district councils to enforce the provisions of the Bill within their districts and provides authorised officers with a power of entry to ascertain if the duty to display the rating and provide information orally where requested, is being complied with.

Clauses 10 and 11 create a number of offences.

Clause 12 requires district councils to provide new food business establishments with information on the Bill (to be specified by the Department).

Clause 13 relates to mobile establishments. It provides a regulation making power for the Department to enable transfer of the inspection and rating functions of a district council to another district council in relation to mobile establishments.

Clause 14 requires the Food Standards Agency to carry out a review of the operation of the Bill within three years of its commencement.

Clause 15 requires district councils to have regard to guidance issued by the Department and the Food Standards Agency, in exercising functions under the Bill.

Clause 16 contains definitions of terms used in the Bill and ensures that definitions of EU Regulations will be ambulatory.

Clause 17 allows the Department to make, by order, transitional provisions. The purpose is to provide establishments with a food hygiene rating within a transitional period. 

Clause 18 contains general provisions for making regulations and orders under the Bill.

Clause 19 states that the Crown is bound by the provisions of the Bill.

Clause 20 contains provisions for the commencement of the legislation.

The Schedule sets down provisions for a fixed penalty notice scheme. 

Any organisation or individual with an interest in this Bill is invited to submit evidence to the Committee by e-mail to committee.hssps@niassembly.gov.uk  

or by post to:

The Committee Clerk, Room 144, Parliament Buildings, Ballymiscaw, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3XX.

The evidence must be structured to address the specific clauses/schedule of the Bill and, if appropriate, should include any amendments you wish to propose to the text.

Organisations or individuals responding to this call for evidence will wish to note that their submission (either in whole or part) will be published on the Committee website.

If you do not have access to the internet or e-mail facilities or you have any other enquiries, please contact the Committee Office on 028 9052 1920 or 028 9052 1841.

The closing date for submissions is 5.00 p.m. on Friday 12 December 2014.

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