South Lanarkshire (Core Audit) (Closed)

South Lanarkshire Council is a Scottish Unitary Local Authority and therefore has responsibility for the enforcement of food hygiene, food standards and feeding stuffs law in the area of central Scotland centred on East Kilbride;

Food that is produced in South Lanarkshire is distributed and sold throughout the world and is an important part of the local economy;

Approximately 2,550 businesses in the Authority�s area, including dairy farms, are subject to food law enforcement, and 246 registered businesses are subject to feeding stuffs law enforcement;

The Authority has Business Plans covering food hygiene, food standards and feeding stuffs law enforcement, although they do not fully meet the requirements of the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement.

An annual review based on the Service Plans has not been carried out, and has therefore not been reported to the appropriate Member forum.

The Authority has appointed authorised Officers and inspectors to enforce food and feeding stuffs law who also have responsibilities for enforcing a range of other environmental health and trading standards legislation.

Qualification and training records for Officers who have been authorised to enforce the Food Safety Act are incomplete, and insufficient to demonstrate that Officers are appropriately qualified and receiving an acceptable level of continuing development training.

Some food hygiene and food standards premises inspections are not being conducted at the required minimum frequencies.

The licensing and inspection of butcher shops and the inspection of other food business premises that are subject to general food hygiene legislation are being carried out systematically and in accordance with relevant procedures.

Documentation relating to the approval of establishments that are subject to product-specific food hygiene legislation was insufficiently detailed in some cases to determine whether approval procedures and inspections had assessed compliance with all aspects of the relevant regulations.

Sampling programmes for food and feeding stuffs have been developed and are being implemented. Adverse sample results are followed-up appropriately.

Although records in a number of areas were comprehensive and well maintained, their availability and accuracy in other areas did not meet required standards.

Following the Agency's audit in May 2005, South Lanarkshire Council developed an action plan to address the non-conformities raised.

The Agency notes the progress that has already been made with implementation of the action plan.

The full report details the following:

• the original non conformity identified during the May 2005 audit
• the action the Authority intended to take to address the non conformity
• the date by which the non conformity was to be rectified
• the progress to date as notified by the Authority in May 2006
• the comments of the Agency Auditors following their follow up audit on 8 November 2006