West Lothian (Core Audit) (Closed)

West Lothian Council is a Scottish Unitary Local Authority. It therefore has responsibility for the enforcement of food hygiene, food standards and feeding stuffs law within its area.

Approximately 1,363 food premises including farms, retailers, caterers and large manufacturers are registered on the Authority�s database. There are also 82 businesses that have registered with the Authority under feeding stuffs legislation.

The Authority has Service Plans covering food hygiene, food standards and feeding stuffs law enforcement that generally meet the requirements of the Service Planning Guidance in the Framework Agreement.

An annual review based on the Food Service Plan has been carried out and reported to the appropriate Member forum.

The Authority has appointed authorised Officers and inspectors to enforce food and feeding stuffs law, although the Food Service Plan indicates that the number of food Officers is insufficient to deliver the service.

Qualification and training records for Officers who have been authorised to enforce the Food Safety Act demonstrate that they are appropriately qualified but insufficient to demonstrate that they are receiving adequate continuing development training.

Food hygiene and food standards premises inspections are generally being conducted at the required minimum frequencies.

Records of the licensing and inspection of butcher shops and the inspection and approval of food business premises that are subject to product-specific food hygiene legislation are insufficient to demonstrate that they 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 is insufficiently detailed in some cases to determine whether approval procedures and inspections have 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.

Internal monitoring of the service is being carried out but needs to be improved to meet the requirements of the Code of Practice and the Authority's own documented procedures.

Following the Agency's audit in August 2005 West Lothian 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 information below details the following:

• the original non conformity identified during the August 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 1 - 2 August 2006