Contribution by Karen Hindle

Comment by: Karen Hindle

Focus area: Food manufacturing (small businesses)

Regulator concerned: Environmental Heath (Local Authority),Food Standards Agency (FSA),Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Comment:
It is the whole feeling that what the agencies are doing is to “cover their own backs”. I feel they should be helping and assisting me to make the regulations work in a sensible fashion so that small businesses can thrive. I had to spend 4 hours with one agency because they were new people and needed me to explain the business. They suggested i go to a particular seminar which was relevant .I knew my association would inform me when necessary. Much as it might have been interesting the cost and time were not cost effective.Two agency personel did go and reported back to me.My evaluation was that their time had not been cost effective.Logic and actual risk do not seem to be relevant.Many SME do not have staffing to cope with all the PAPER!!!