Chamber and committees

Figures are not kept in the form requested as FSS officials will work on a range of policy areas according to priorities and workloads. Four policy officials have the necessary expertise to deal with food labelling and allergen issues

Please see the following table for a breakdown of how the staff budget contributed to the overall FSS’ baseline budget in each financial year since the establishment of FSS. FSS staff costs are not dependant on where staff are located but by pay grade, therefore there are no comparisons to be made between Aberdeen and other locations.

Food Safety is regulated through various pieces of legislation including the Food Safety Act 1990 and assimilated Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on general food law, which create the regulatory framework in this respect.

In relation to public events, the Food Standards Scotland website provides specific advice on Food Safety at Community Events where those providing foods on an occasional basis may not be registered food businesses.

Accountable Officers are in place to ensure that public money is used efficiently and effectively in line with guidance published in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM). The SPFM provides guidance on the proper handling and reporting of public funds.

As Scottish Government functions have increased and matured, the volume and complexity of outsourced legal work has also evolved. This work is procured and we are now utilising the third iteration of a framework providing Legal Services to the Scottish Government and the wider public sector. The current Legal Services Framework is divided into 6 Lots by subject matter:

The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the windfall tax. The oil and gas fiscal regime - including the Energy Profits Levy or "windfall tax" - are wholly reserved to the UK Government, as are decisions on how to spend the revenues raised.

Food Standards Scotland is not responsible for investigating local incidents of foodborne illness which are potentially linked to restaurants and takeaway outlets. Investigations of sporadic cases of gastrointestinal illnesses, including those suspected to have been caused by food, are led by NHS Health Boards with support from the relevant environmental health departments, which have responsibility for taking appropriate action where a particular food business may be implicated. FSS will become involved in the investigation of these incidents when they involve meat processing businesses for which FSS is the enforcing authority, in circumstances where the implicated food has been distributed across a number of Local Authority areas, or when there has been an outbreak of illness (multiple cases of foodborne illness) which has extended nationally or has the potential to result in a serious public health risk. Where a national outbreak is detected a multi-agency response may be convened through an incident management team involving Public Health Scotland (PHS) and NHS Health Boards (which lead the epidemiological investigations), and Local Authorities and FSS (which lead the food chain investigations). In this situation FSS will ensure the traceability of implicated products and support Local Authorities in their enquiries and sampling activities aimed at identifying the source of the outbreak.

Further information on the management of outbreaks of foodborne illness in Scotland can be found in the guidance document which has been developed by FSS and PHS through the Public Health Protection Network (SHPN); in collaboration with experts from local authorities, Health Boards, Clinical Reference Laboratories, and Public Analyst Scientific Services: Guidance on the management of outbreaks of foodborne illness in Scotland | Food Standards Scotland

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers