Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) <br />(West Coast) (No 4) (Scotland) Order 2005 (SSI 2005/260)
Good afternoon. I welcome committee members, the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care and members of the public to the 16th meeting this year of the Health Committee. Apologies have been received from the convener, Roseanna Cunningham, who is in South Africa as part of a parliamentary delegation.
There are currently no reports of ASP in the United Kingdom. It is important to say that the current action limit may well protect against major outbreaks, but we have to recognise that food poisoning incidents are underreported. It has been suggested that there is a lesser risk of ASP from scallops. Although research is under way on that, there is currently no scientific justification for the claim or for raising the current action limit for ASP. It is imperative in the meantime that public health continues to be protected as at present. The alternative is absolutely unacceptable.
Do members wish to seek clarification on the order from the minister and her official?
I understand that the method of testing for scallops that are affected by amnesic shellfish poisoning is likely to change in the near future, so I will not oppose the order.
As no members wish to debate the order, I invite the minister to move motion S2M-2850.
Motion moved,
That the Health Committee recommends that the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) (West Coast) (No. 4) (Scotland) Order 2005 be approved.—[Rhona Brankin.]
Motion agreed to.
Thank you for your attendance, Ms Wood. Minister, you are staying with us for the next item.