The Wild Game Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995

Issue of licences

3.—(1) No person shall use any wild game processing facility for the purpose of dressing or cutting up wild game, the meat derived from which is intended for consignment, or sale for consignment, to a relevant EEA State for human consumption, unless that wild game processing facility is currently licensed under these Regulations.

(2) Without prejudice to paragraph (6) below, the Minister, on application made to him under this regulation, shall license the wild game processing facility to which the application relates if he is satisfied that—

(a) where only wild game meat is handled, it complies with the requirements of Schedule 1 or the occupier of the premises has agreed a work plan with the Minister to carry out and complete works at the premises necessary to comply with those requirements on or before 31 December 1995, the method of operation in those premises complies with the requirements of Schedules 2 to 6 and there is no significant risk either that facilities for inspection under Schedule 4 will be denied or that any wild game meat condemned under those Schedules will be used for human consumption; or

(b) where fresh meat and wild game meat are handled, it is an establishment licensed under the Hygiene Regulations and—

(i) the method of operation in the establishment, in relation to wild game meat, complies, in so far as is necessary for the type of operations carried out in the establishment, with the requirements of Schedules 2 to 6 and there is no significant risk either that the facilities for inspection under Schedule 4 will be denied or that any wild game meat condemned under those Schedules will be used for human consumption; and

(ii) wild game meat will be handled separately or at different times from fresh meat and measures will be taken to identify clearly the different types of meat;

and shall refuse to grant a licence if he is not so satisfied.

(3) Each application for a licence under this regulation shall be made in writing to the Minister by the occupier of the premises to which the application relates.

(4) The Minister shall notify the applicant in writing of his decision on the application and of his reasons for any refusal to grant a licence.

(5) Any licence granted in respect of any premises under this regulation shall be subject to the condition that any significant alteration to the premises or the equipment or method of operation in those premises shall comply with the provisions of these Regulations.

(6) In granting a licence in respect of any premises under this regulation the Minister may make that licence subject to conditions—

(a) in respect of the type or species of wild game which may be processed there; and

(b) as to the operations which may be carried out there.

(7) Where the Minister has refused to grant a licence under this regulation or granted a licence subject to any condition imposed pursuant to paragraph (6) above, the notification under paragraph (4) above shall state the right of appeal to a Meat Hygiene Appeals Tribunal, for which provision is made in regulation 5, and the time within which an appeal shall be lodged.