Food Standards Bill

Food Standards Bill - continued	House of Commons
SCHEDULE 3, THE AGENCY'S FUNCTIONS UNDER OTHER ACTS - continued

back to previous text

PART II

OTHER FUNCTIONS

Medicines Act 1968 (c. 67)

8. - (1) The Medicines Act 1968 shall be amended as follows.

(2) In section 4 (establishment of committees), after subsection (5) there shall be inserted the following subsection-

"(5A) Where a committee is established under this section for purposes including the consideration of veterinary products as defined in section 29(2) of the Food Standards Act 1999, one member of the committee shall be appointed by the Ministers establishing the committee on the nomination of the Food Standards Agency."

(3) In section 129 (orders and regulations), after subsection (6) there shall be inserted the following subsection-

"(6A) The organisations to be consulted under subsection (6) of this section include, where any provisions of the regulations or order apply to veterinary products as defined in section 29(2) of the Food Standards Act 1999, the Food Standards Agency."

Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (c. 48)

9. - (1) The Agency shall have the following functions under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.

(2) The Agency may exercise the following powers under section 2 (powers when emergency order has been made)-

(a) the power to give consents under subsection (1);

(b) the power to give directions or do anything else under subsection (3);

(3) In section 7 (exemptions from need for licence under Part II), after subsection (3) there shall be inserted the following subsection-

	"(3A) The Ministers-
	(a) shall consult the Food Standards Agency as to any order they contemplate making under this section; and
	(b) shall from time to time consult that Agency as to the general approach to be taken by them in relation to the granting of approvals and the imposition of conditions under subsections (2) and (3) (including the identification of circumstances in which it may be desirable for the Agency to be consulted in relation to particular cases)."

(4) In section 8 (licences under Part II), after subsection (11) there shall be inserted the following subsections-

"(11A) The matters to which a licensing authority is to have regard in exercising powers under this section include any advice or information given to that authority by the Food Standards Agency (whether of a general nature or in relation to the exercise of a power in a particular case).

(11B) A licensing authority shall from time to time consult the Food Standards Agency as to the general manner in which the authority proposes to exercise its powers under this section in cases involving any matter which may affect food safety or other interests of consumers in relation to food (including the identification of circumstances in which it may be desirable for the Agency to be consulted in relation to particular cases)."

(5) In section 16 (control of pesticides), after subsection (9) there shall be inserted the following subsection-

	"(9A) The Ministers-
	(a) shall consult the Food Standards Agency as to regulations which they contemplate making; and
	(b) shall from time to time consult that Agency as to the general approach to be taken by them in relation to the giving, revocation or suspension of approvals and the imposition of conditions on approvals (including the identification of circumstances in which it may be desirable for the Agency to be consulted in relation to particular cases)."

(6) In Schedule 5 (the Advisory Committee), after paragraph 1 there shall be inserted the following paragraph-

" 1A. The committee shall include one member appointed by the Ministers on the nomination of the Food Standards Agency."

Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43)

10. For section 126 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (exercise of certain functions relating to genetically modified organisms jointly by Secretary of State and Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) there shall be substituted the following section-

"Exercise of certain functions jointly.	126. - (1) Any power of the Secretary of State to make regulations under this Part (other than the power conferred by section 113 above) is exercisable, where the regulations to be made relate to any matter with which the Minister is concerned, by the Secretary of State and the Minister acting jointly.
	(2) The Agency shall be consulted before any regulations under this Part are made which relate to any matter connected with food safety or other interests of consumers in relation to food.
	(3) Any function of the Secretary of State under this Part (other than a power to make regulations) is exercisable, where the function is to be exercised in relation to a matter with which the Minister is concerned, by the Secretary of State and the Minister acting jointly (but subject to subsection (4) below).
	(4) Any function of the Secretary of State under sections 108(8), 110, 111 and 112 above (other than a power to make regulations) is exercisable, where the function is to be exercised in relation to a matter connected with food safety or other interests of consumers in relation to food, by the Secretary of State and the Agency acting jointly or, in a case where subsection (3) above applies, by the Secretary of State, the Minister and the Agency acting jointly.
	(5) Accordingly, references in this Part to the Secretary of State shall, where subsection (1), (3) or (4) above applies, be treated as references to the authorities in question acting jointly.
	(6) The reference in section 113 above to expenditure of the Secretary of State in discharging functions under this Part in relation to consents shall be taken to include a reference to the corresponding expenditure of the Minister or the Agency in discharging those functions jointly with the Secretary of State.
	(7) The validity of anything purporting to be done in pursuance of the exercise of a function of the Secretary of State under this Part shall not be affected by any question whether that thing fell, by virtue of this section, to be done jointly with the Minister or the Agency (or both) or following consultation with the Agency.
	(8) In this section-
	"the Agency" means the Food Standards Agency; and
	"the Minister" means the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food."

Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (c. 12)

11. The Agency shall have the right to be consulted in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (4A) of section 16 or subsection (2A) of section 17 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (proposals for granting or varying authorisations) about the matters mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) of that subsection.

Prepared 11 June 1999