Food Standards Act 1999

22 Statement of general objectives and practices. U.K.

(1) The Agency shall prepare and publish a statement of general objectives it intends to pursue, and general practices it intends to adopt, in carrying out its functions.

(2) The statement shall include the following among the Agency’s general objectives, namely—

(a) securing that its activities are the subject of consultation with, or with representatives of, those affected and, where appropriate, with members of the public;

(b) promoting links with any of the following authorities with responsibilities affecting food safety or other interests of consumers in relation to food, namely—

(i) government departments, local authorities and other public authorities;

(ii) the National Assembly for Wales (and its staff) and Assembly Secretaries, the Scottish Administration and Northern Ireland Departments;

with a view to securing that the Agency is consulted informally from time to time about the general manner in which any such responsibilities are discharged;

(c) securing that records of its decisions, and the information on which they are based, are kept and made available with a view to enabling members of the public to make informed judgments about the way in which it is carrying out its functions,

and any other objectives (which may include more specific objectives relating to anything mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (c)) which are notified to the Agency by the appropriate authorities acting jointly.

(3) Nothing in subsection (2) prevents the inclusion in the statement of more specific objectives relating to anything mentioned in that subsection.

(4) The statement shall be submitted in draft to the appropriate authorities for their approval before it is published.

(5) The appropriate authorities acting jointly may approve the draft statement submitted to them with or without modifications (but they must consult the Agency before making any modifications).

(6) As soon as practicable after a statement is approved under subsection (5), the Agency shall—

(a) lay a copy of the statement as so approved before Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly; and

(b) publish that statement in such manner as the appropriate authorities acting jointly may approve.

(7) The first statement under this section shall be submitted to the appropriate authorities within the period of three months beginning with the date of the first meeting of the Agency.

(8) The Agency may revise its current statement under this section; and subsections (2) to (6) apply to a revised statement as they apply to the first statement.