24.—(1) For the guidance of food authorities, the Secretary of State may issue codes of recommended practice as regards the execution and enforcement of the Hygiene Regulations and any such code shall be laid before Parliament after being issued.
(2) The Agency may, after consulting the Secretary of State, give a food authority a direction requiring them to take any specified steps in order to comply with a code issued under this regulation.
(3) In exercise of the functions conferred on them by or under the Hygiene Regulations, every food authority —
(a)shall have regard to any relevant provision of any such code; and
(b)shall comply with any direction which is given under this regulation and requires them to take any specified steps in order to comply with such a code.
(4) Any direction under paragraph (2) shall, on the application of the Agency, be enforceable by mandatory order.
(5) The Agency shall consult the Secretary of State before making an application under paragraph (4).
(6) Before issuing any code under this regulation, the Secretary of State shall have regard to any relevant advice given by the Agency.
25.—(1) An officer of an enforcement authority is not personally liable in respect of any act done by him —
(a)in the execution or purported execution of the Hygiene Regulations; and
(b)within the scope of his employment,
if he did that act in the honest belief that his duty under the Hygiene Regulations required or entitled him to do it.
(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed as relieving any enforcement authority of any liability in respect of the acts of their officers.
(3) Where an action has been brought against an officer of an enforcement authority in respect of an act done by him —
(a)in the execution or purported execution of the Hygiene Regulations; but
(b)outside the scope of his employment,
the authority may indemnify him against the whole or a part of any damages which he has been ordered to pay or any costs which he may have incurred if they are satisfied that he honestly believed that the act complained of was within the scope of his employment.
(4) A public analyst appointed by a food authority shall be treated for the purposes of this regulation as being an officer of the authority, whether or not his appointment is a whole–time one.
26.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the Agency may at any time revoke or suspend —
(a)the appointment of an official veterinarian;
(b)the designation of an approved veterinarian; or
(c)the appointment of an official auxiliary,
if it appears to the Agency that the person in question is unfit to perform any of the functions of that post under the Hygiene Regulations.
(2) Where the Agency revokes or suspends a designation or appointment under paragraph (1), the Agency shall, as soon as practicable, give to the person whose designation or appointment has been revoked or suspended a notice in writing of the reasons for the revocation or suspension and shall afford him an opportunity of —
(a)making representations in writing to the Agency with regard to the revocation or suspension; or
(b)being heard by a person nominated by the Agency for the purpose pursuant to sub–paragraph (a) of paragraph (5).
(3) A notice given under paragraph (2) shall inform the person to whom it is given —
(a)of his right to make representations in writing;
(b)of the manner in which and the time (not being less than 21 days from the giving of the notice) within which such representations may be made;
(c)of his right to be heard; and
(d)of the manner in which and the time (not being less than 21 days from the giving of the notice) within which he may apply for an opportunity to be heard.
(4) In the event of the person whose designation or appointment has been revoked or suspended making any representations (whether orally or in writing) under paragraph (3) the Agency shall reconsider whether that person is unfit to perform any of the functions of the post held by him under the Hygiene Regulations and shall, as soon as practicable, reconsider its decision to revoke or suspend the designation or appointment under paragraph (1) in the light of those representations.
(5) Where a person requests the opportunity to be heard pursuant to sub–paragraph (b) of paragraph (2) —
(a)the Agency shall nominate a person to determine the matter from the list established under paragraph (6);
(b)the person so nominated shall serve a notice on the person requesting the opportunity to be heard and the Agency informing them of the time (not being less than 21 days from the giving of the notice) of the hearing; and
(c)the person so nominated shall, within 21 days of the hearing, notify the person requesting the opportunity to be heard and the Agency of his decision.
(6) The Agency shall establish and maintain a list of people who may be nominated for the purposes of this regulation and shall consult those organisations appearing to it to represent official veterinarians, approved veterinarians and official auxiliaries before including any person on the list.
27.—(1) On an inspection of any food, an authorised officer of an enforcement authority may certify that it has not been produced, processed or distributed in compliance with the Hygiene Regulations.
(2) Where any food is certified as mentioned in paragraph (1) it shall be treated for the purposes of section 9 of the Act as failing to comply with food safety requirements.
(3) Where any food certified as mentioned in paragraph (1) is part of a batch, lot or consignment of food of the same class or description, all the food in the batch, lot or consignment shall, until it is proved that it has been produced, processed or distributed in compliance with the Hygiene Regulations, be treated for the purposes of paragraph (2) as having been so certified.
28.—(1) Any document which is required or authorised under the Hygiene Regulations to be served on a food business operator may be served —
(a)by delivering it to that person;
(b)in the case of an incorporated company or body, by delivering it to their secretary at their registered or principal office, or by sending it in a prepaid letter addressed to him at that office; or
(c)in the case of any other food business operator, by leaving it or sending it in a prepaid letter addressed to him at his usual or last known residence.
(2) Where a document is to be served on a food business operator under the Hygiene Regulations and it is not reasonably practicable to ascertain the name and address of the person on whom it should be served, or the premises of the food business operator are unoccupied, the document may be served by addressing it to the food business operator concerned in the capacity of occupier of those premises (naming them), and —
(a)by delivering it to some other person at the premises; and
(b)if there is no other person at the premises to whom it can be delivered, by affixing it or a copy of it to some conspicuous part of the premises.
29. Schedule 3 (bulk transport in sea–going vessels of liquid oils or fats and the bulk transport by sea of raw sugar) shall have effect.
30. Schedule 4 (temperature control requirements) shall have effect.
31. Schedule 5 (direct supply by the producer of small quantities of meat from poultry or lagomorphs slaughtered on the farm) shall have effect.
32. Schedule 6 (restrictions on the sale of raw milk intended for direct human consumption) shall have effect.
33.—(1) In so far as they apply in relation to England, the instruments specified in Schedule 7 are amended to the extent specified there.
(2) For Note 3 to Schedule 1 to the Condensed Milk and Dried Milk (England) Regulations 2003(1) (partly or wholly dehydrated preserved milk products and their reserved descriptions) there is substituted the following Note —
“3. The preservation of the designated products shall be achieved —
(a)by heat treatment for the products referred to in paragraph 1(a) to (d) of column 1 of this Schedule;
(b)by the addition of sucrose for the products referred to in paragraph 1(e) to (g) of column 1 of this Schedule; and
(c)by dehydration for the products referred to in paragraph 2 of column 1 of this Schedule.”.
34. The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2005(2) are revoked.