Registration of community halls as food businesses in England

Food business operators and community halls users

The results of the consultation will inform the development of any proposals to reduce legislative burdens on those using community halls for events involving food, where doing so would not leave consumers at risk. The Agency is interested to hear any comments or concerns you have about the proportionality of the current requirements.

The FSA would particularly welcome comments about the registration requirement. Two responses to the RTC website suggested that events in community halls involving food should not need to register with their local authority, and we are considering whether this could be achieved without risking consumer safety. There is a short overview of the current registration requirement in Annexe A to help with consideration of the issue, as well as three alternative scenarios that the Agency would welcome comments on.

Regardless of whether activities in community halls are registered, there is an overriding requirement in European food law that food placed on the market is safe. This provides legal protection for consumers and effectively applies to all activities outside of the purely domestic settings. It would apply to all the scenarios set out at Annexe A.

Responses are required by close 6 February 2012. Please state, in your response, whether you are responding as a private individual or on behalf of an organisation/company (including details of any stakeholders your organisation represents).

This consultation has been prepared in accordance with the HM Government Code of Practice on Consultation, which states that a consultation must follow better regulation best practice, including carrying out an Impact Assessment (Regulatory Impact Assessment in Scotland). The assessment is included in the consultation documents.

We are interested in what you thought of this consultation and would therefore welcome your general feedback on both the consultation package and overall consultation process. If you would like to assist us to improve the quality of future consultations, please feel free to share your thoughts with us by using the consultation feedback questionnaire.

In accordance with the FSA principle of openness we shall keep a copy of the completed consultation and responses, to be made available to the public on request. The FSA will publish a summary of responses, which may include personal data, such as your full name. Disclosure of any other personal data would be made only upon request for the full consultation responses. If you do not want this information to be released, please complete and return the Publication of Personal Data Form. Return of this form does not mean that we will treat your response to the consultation as confidential, just your personal data.

Within three months of a consultation ending we aim to publish a summary of responses received and provide a link to it from this page.

If, after three months, the summary is still not showing, please contact the person who was responsible for the original consultation. Alternatively, you can contact the FSA Consultation Co-ordinator by email: consultationcoordinator@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk