Agenda item

The Port Health and Public Protection Director to provide an oral update on the latest position.

The Committee received an oral update from the Port Health and Public Protection Director concerning COVID-19 and the UK's impact of leaving the EU (Brexit) on Port Health & Public Protection.

COVID-19

The Government announced yesterday that most Covid guidance and legal restrictions would be lifted in England on the 19 July 2021. Officers awaited details of best practice; however, guidance remained on people meeting others outside where possible and the recommended use of face coverings in crowded public settings. The City will therefore look very different with clubs able to open and table service no longer mandatory.

The City’s Public Protection Teams will continue to engage with businesses to provide advice and guidance. However, in light of the latest announcement, the City Covid Accreditation scheme is currently under review.

Members were reminded that the FSA was due to publish a roadmap for food hygiene interventions. This has recently been published and considered a reset of the inspection programme. Officers will bring details of the plan up to 2023 to the September Committee meeting. 

Ports and HARC have continued to operate and both have been extremely busy this year with HARC experiencing a 40% increase on normal June levels. Similarly, Port Health are running at 25+% above normal levels although this may dip from July as a result of the impacts of the end of quotas in June and the Suez Canal backlog.  Port Health continue to work closely with the port operator to put procedures in place to increase capacity, e.g. approving extra seal check areas and numerous meetings with the trade to address problems have taken place.

Brexit

The implementation of the next phase of controls on high-risk imported food and feed is due to come in on the 1 Oct.  This is the introduction of 100% documentary checks.  Port Health continues to train its staff and work with stakeholders to ensure a smooth process. The aim remains to advise agents and importers if there are issues with paperwork, etc, and get the process correct for full checks to be implemented from January.

It was noted that a bid had been made for additional funding from Defra in light of Sheerness advising that they would also be dealing with high risk food and feed. Officers await the final detailed bidding process to be confirmed.

With regards to animal health, Members were advised that the controls would not come in until 21 March 2022 at the earliest. There were concerns that private BCPs would be set up in competition to HARC and Officers were responding by making representations and seeking Counsel's opinion.

The Chairman congratulated the Team for their hard work which was not an easy feat.

A Member was concerned that private companies accepting animals from abroad would mean the Animal Reception Centre would be left with the rarer/more difficult animals. Officers agreed it was not fair as the ARC covered a wide variety of animals as a statutory requirement and were responding to Defra.