Issue - meetings

To consider the adoption of the proposed Food and Health and Safety Service Plans for 2021/22.

The Committee considered a report on the proposed Food and Health and Safety Service Plans for 2021/22.

The Committee noted the Council’s process for dealing with premises who received low hygiene ratings, and that Environmental Health team resources had been stretched due to the pandemic and a national shortage of officers, causing a backlog of inspections of food establishments.

The Committee acknowledged that more could be done to inform the public of the hygiene ratings achieved by food establishments. Councillor Leighton proposed that the Senior Environmental Health Manager write a letter to the Food Standards Agency requesting that they support the display of food hygiene ratings becomes mandatory and that this letter was to be sent within one month of the date of the Committee meeting. This was seconded by Councillors S. Dunn and T. Mitchell simultaneously and agreed unanimously by the Committee. The Senior Environmental Health Officer also suggested she could raise the topic at a meeting with other Environmental Health Managers in Surrey to inquire if they would like to add their support.

Alternative options considered and rejected by the Committee:

1. To amend the proposed service plans.

2. To not adopt the proposed service plans.

The Committee resolved to:

1.    adopt the proposed Food Service Plan 2021/22

2.    adopt the proposed Health and Safety Service Plan 2021/22

3.    agree that the Senior Environmental Health Manager write a letter to the Food Standards Agency requesting that they support that the display of food hygiene ratings becomes mandatory and that this letter be sent within one month of the date of the Committee meeting.