Food Safety Act 1990

6 Enforcement of Act. E+W+S

(1) In this Act “the enforcement authority”, in relation to any provisions of this Act or any regulations or orders made under it, means the authority by whom they are to be enforced and executed.

(2) Every food authority shall enforce and execute within their area the provisions of this Act with respect to which the duty is not imposed expressly or by necessary implication on some other authority.

(3) The [F1 Secretary of State] may direct, in relation to cases of a particular description or a particular case, that any duty imposed on food authorities by subsection (2) above shall be discharged by [F2 the Secretary of State F3 . . . ][F4 or the Food Standards Agency] and not by those authorities.

(4) Regulations or orders under this Act shall specify which of the following authorities are to enforce and execute them, either generally or in relation to cases of a particular description or a particular area, namely—

(a) F5 . . . , F6 [F7 . . . the Secretary of State], [F8 the Food Standards Agency,] food authorities and such other authorities as are mentioned in section 5(3) above; and

(b) in the case of regulations, the Commissioners of Customs and Excise;

and any such regulations or orders may provide for the giving of assistance and information, by any authority concerned in the administration of the regulations or orders, or of any provisions of this Act, to any other authority so concerned, for the purposes of their respective duties under them.

[F9 (4A) In the application of subsections (3) and (4) to Scotland, the references to the Food Standards Agency are to be read as references to Food Standards Scotland.]

(5) An enforcement authority in England and Wales may institute proceedings under any provisions of this Act or any regulations or orders made under it F10 . . ..

[F11 (5A) The Secretary of State may take over the conduct of any such proceedings which have been instituted by some other person.

(5B) The Secretary of State may direct the Food Standards Agency to take over the conduct of any such proceedings which have been instituted by some person other than the Agency.

(5C) The Food Standards Agency may take over the conduct of any such proceedings which have been instituted by some other person, but (unless the Agency has been directed to do so under subsection (5B) above) only with the consent of the person who instituted them.]

[F12 (6) In this Act “authorised officer”, in relation to an enforcement authority, means any person (whether or not an officer of the authority) who is authorised by the authority in writing, either generally or specially, to act in matters arising under this Act and regulations and orders made under it; but if regulations made by [F13 the Secretary of State]so provide, no person shall be so authorised unless he has such qualifications as may be prescribed by the regulations.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 6(3) substituted (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 28, s. 40(1), Sch. 5 para. 10(1)(2)(a) (with ss. 38, 40(2)); S.I. 2000/1066, art. 2

F2 Words in s. 6(3) substituted (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 28, s. 40(1), Sch. 5 para. 10(1)(2)(b) (with ss. 38, 40(2)); S.I. 2000/1066, art. 2

F3 Words in s. 6(3) repealed (27.3.2002) by The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Dissolution) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/794), art. 5(2), Sch. 2 (with art. 6)

F4 Words in s. 6(3) inserted (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 28, s. 40(1)(2), Sch. 5 para. 10(1)(2)(b) (with ss. 38, 40(2)); S.I. 2000/1066, art. 2

F5 Words in s. 6(4) repealed (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 28, s. 40(1)(4), Sch. 5 para. 10(1)(3)(a), Sch. 6 (with ss. 38, 40(2)); S.I. 2000/1066, art. 2

F6 Words in s. 6(4)(a) repealed (27.3.2002) by The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Dissolution) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/794), art. 5(2), Sch. 2 (with art. 6)

F7 Words in s. 6(4)(a) substituted (3.1.1995) by 1994 c. 40, ss. 31, 82(2)(d), Sch. 9 para. 6

F8 Words in s. 6(4) inserted (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 28, s. 40(1)(4), Sch. 5 para. 10(1)(3)(b), Sch. 6 (with ss. 38, 40(2)); S.I. 2000/1066, art. 2

F9 S. 6(4A) inserted (S.) (1.4.2015) by Food (Scotland) Act 2015 (asp 1), s. 63(2), sch. para. 3(2) (with s. 62); S.S.I. 2015/99, art. 2

F10 Words in s. 6(5) repealed (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 28, s. 40(1)(4), Sch. 5 para. 10(1)(4), Sch. 6 (with ss. 38, 40(2)); S.I. 2000/1066, art. 2

F11 Ss. 5(5A)(5B)(5C) inserted (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 28, s. 40(1)(4), Sch. 5 para. 10(1)(4), Sch. 6 (with ss. 38, 40(2)); S.I. 2000/1066, art. 2

F12 S. 6(6) inserted (3.1.1995) by 1994 c. 40, ss. 76, 82(2)(d), Sch. 16 para. 16

F13 Words in s. 6(6) substituted (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 28, s. 40(1), Sch. 5 para. 8 (with ss. 38, 40(2)); S.I. 2000/1066, art. 2

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 6 amended (1.4.2000) by 1999 c. 28, s. 18, Sch. 3 Pt. I paras. 1, 2; S.I. 2000/1066, art. 2

C2 S. 6 applied (with modifications) (E.) (24.3.2011) by The Hull and Goole Port Health Authority Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/939), arts. 1(1), 9, Sch. 2

C3 S. 6 functions etc. assigned to the port health authority and modified (E.) (31.3.2017) by The Weymouth Port Health Authority Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/558), arts. 1(1), 9, Sch. 2 (with art. 9(3))

C4 S. 6(3) applied (1.1.1993 for certain purposes and 15.1.1993 otherwise) by S.I. 1992/3164, regs. 1, 19(2) (which S.I. was revoked (29.4.1998) by S.I. 1998/994, reg. 59(1), Sch. 5)

S. 6(3) applied (1.1.1993 for certain purposes and 15.1.1993 otherwise) by S.I. 1992/3163, regs. 1, 18(2) (which S.I. was revoked (29.4.1998) by S.I. 1998/994, reg. 59(1), Sch. 5)

C5 S. 6(3) applied (29.4.1998) by S.I. 1998/994, reg. 55(2)

C6 S. 6(3)(4)(6) transfer of functions (23.3.2005) by Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc.) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/849), art. 1, Sch. (with art. 6)