## Performance And Resources Report Q2 2020/21 Fsa 20/12/08

Food Standards Agency Business Committee
8 December 2020

## Contents

| Foreword                                                     | …………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………… 3   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| Executive Summary - Our Performance                          | …………………….….……………………………..…………….. 4                 |
| Delivering Our Corporate Priorities                          | …………..……….……………………………………………………….. 5-6             |
| Food Hygiene Rating Scheme                                   | …………………………….……………………………………………………….. 7             |
| Local Authority Performance in England                       | ……………………………..………….………………………….. 8                  |
| Meat FBO Compliance                                          | ………………….……………………………………………………………..…………….. 9        |
| COVID-19 Food Safety Update                                  | ……………………………………………………………………………………… 10              |
| Engaging with Consumers and Food Businesses During COVID-19  | …………..…..……………….. 11                              |
| Making the FSA a great place to work - Diversity & Inclusion | ….……………………………….… 12                               |
| Spend vs HM Treasury Limits                                  | ………………………..…………………………………………………………….   13          |
| Breakdown of Corporate Priorities                            | …………………………………………..……………………………….… 14               |
| Breakdown of Key Areas of Spend                              | …………………………………………..……………………………….… 15               |

The FSA's objective throughout the COVID-19 response has been to ensure food safety, so that the high level of consumer protection in the UK is preserved. We have provided a robust, effective yet flexible response supporting industry in maintaining food supply and our own staff in protecting themselves and others. Our COVID-19 risk assessment of transmission through consumption of food, or handling of food or packaging, remains very low. The introduction of localised restrictions across England, Wales and Northern Ireland required our operational teams to rapidly respond to the continually changing situation so that we continued to meet our obligations with respect to official controls. On EU Transition the programme of activities to ensure readiness for the end of the Transition Period remains the FSA's highest priority programme. Projects within the programme are now in the final stages of delivery and are on track to meet their minimum viable product requirements for 31 December 2020. Where delivery is dependent on other Government departments, we continue to work closely to reflect our requirements. As part of our 'winter planning' all projects have undertaken contingency planning for a COVID-19 second wave and we remain confident that EU Transition work is sufficiently prioritised. However, the impact of factors outside the control of the FSA, e.g. timescales for negotiation and development of physical infrastructure at borders, continue to make delivery challenging. On the FSA's 2nd strategic priority on regulatory reform, the Achieving Business Compliance (ABC) Programme, there continues to be progress, although this has been slowed by the impact of COVID-19. Work has been undertaken to explore the levers and interventions for regulatory compliance available to the FSA, and how we may utilise these to encourage business compliance. Segmentation work has established evidence and the basis of a hypothesis on the Top 10 retailers having consistently high levels of compliance and a significant impact across the food system for the FSA to explore a different regulatory relationship with them. Work is underway to establish where relationships with this sector work effectively and where improvements can be made. We have also developed our understanding of the regulatory implications of the expanding food platform sector. There is more work to be carried out about the role the FSA has in either authenticating or coordinating a regulatory response to this sector of the food system to ensure consumers are properly informed and food safety is assured. An FSA workforce that is diverse in terms of background and life experience brings different insights, creates challenge, encourages change and innovation. This makes us more accountable, trusted and we make better decisions; better because they are more attuned to consumer needs and interests across all our communities. Since the launch of our diversity strategy in 2018 our workforce has grown more diverse; the number of ethnic minority and disabled staff has increased and progress is being made towards an equal gender balance. However, we are still some way from achieving a diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of our consumers. Amongst our more senior grades there is little ethnic diversity, we are working with our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff Network to gain insight into their experiences of working in the FSA. Our workforce is ageing, the number of employees over 50 continues to increase, however, since 2018 we have seen an increase in under 40s, if current trends continue we will have two distinct generational groups of staff who are likely to have different wants and needs in terms of employment.

## Executive Summary Our Performance In Q2 2020/21 Meat Fbo Compliance Diversity & Inclusion

in FSA declared minority ethnicity since our Diversity Strategy launch in November 2018

## Delivering Our Corporate Priorities

The FSA's objectives throughout 20/21 and our COVID-19 response have been to ensure food safety, preserving the high level of consumer protection in the UK whilst supporting industry in maintaining the nation's food supply

## Delivering Our Corporate Priorities

The FSA's objectives throughout 20/21 and our COVID-19 response have been to ensure food safety, preserving the high level of consumer protection in the UK whilst supporting industry in maintaining the nation's food supply

## Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

% of food businesses within FHRS scope achieving FHRS rating of '5 - very good' (England, Wales and Northern Ireland consolidated) or lower (England, Wales and Northern Ireland consolidated)
at 3.9% since Q1
The number of FHRS inspections per month, comparison between 2019 and 2020 to highlight the impact of COVID-19  
During COVID-19, businesses rated 0, 1 or 2 that request a rerating and the evidence provided remotely indicates that issues have been resolved, are also published as 'awaiting inspection'
ratings of 2 or lower 

## Local Authority (La) Performance In England

For further details regarding local authority performance in England please refer to the 'Local Authority Delivery and Performance' paper for the 8 December Business Committee meeting engaging with the local authority on food hygiene performance issues at the end of 2019/20
Where action is not taken or improvements are not sustained by a LA, we follow an escalation procedure to protect public health and maintain consumer confidence. A staged approach is taken to increasingly engage senior levels of management within the LAs and the FSA as required, as well as other government bodies if appropriate Open case performance issues were identified based on the 2017/18 and 2018/19 LAEMS data. LAs are asked to provide a suitable timebound action plan to secure the required improvements

## Meat Fbo Compliance Q2 % Meat Fbo Ratings (England, Wales And Northern Ireland Consolidated)

In July 2020, following extensive consultation with Industry, the audit programme recommenced a risk-based, targeted return to audits. Any concerns / impacts have been mitigated by communication with FBOs, tailoring the approach to each circumstance. This included:
We expect our position in Q3 to continue to steadily return to normal and auditors will continue to use remote techniques where possible and appropriate. Our ambition is to return to 100% of Pre-COVID-19 levels in January 2021, however, this looks less likely as the impacts of the second COVID-19 wave is being felt. 

compared to normal levels, focusing on audits that have been long due and / or considered high risk 

## Q2 2020/21 Covid-19 Food Safety Update Social Media Response

The FSA were aware of the potential for disinformation to circulate online in connection with COVID-19. In response, and to ease public fears that food and food packaging could act as a transmission route for COVID-19, we promoted the Risk Assessment report across all channels and launched a series of COVID-19 social media posts:
was the Risk Analysis report.

## Risk Of Covid-19 Exposure In Food Overall Risk = Very Low

The FSA considered the probability that UK consumers would receive infectious exposures of COVID-19 via food consumption, handling food contact materials or packaging as **Very Low**, although the assessment noted that significant uncertainties remain

## Food Incidents Engaging With Consumers And Food Businesses During Covid-19 What?

Ensure people understand that you cannot get COVID-19 from food, and what to do to keep food safe and Help businesses find the information they need to make adjustments to keep running without compromising food safety

## How?

We launched the Here to Help campaign. 
A new section was added to the 
homepage, directing users to updated 
content designed for FBOs, whether 
they're reopening, starting from home, 
or changing their business model

We continued to push COVID-19 
content and reopening business 
guidance, aligning with the 
increase in FBOs reopening in 
July, and with the wider 
#EatOutToHelpOut campaign

This is our most popular page on the website, even outranking the homepage in July 2020, showing a clear demand for this content

To ease public fears that 
food and food packaging 
could act as a transmission 
route for COVID-19, we 
promoted the Risk Analysis 
report across all channels

the main thrust of our social media promotion and was the most downloaded document from the website this year

## Making The Fsa A Great Place To Work - Diversity And Inclusion Affordability - How The Fsa Is Performing Against Hm Treasury Limits 2020/21

| 20/21 Full Year                 | Under   |  /   | (Over)   |
|---------------------------------|---------|------|----------|
| Fav/(Adv)                       | Under   | /    |          |
| Forecast                        |         |      |          |
| 20/21                           |         |      |          |
| Limits                          | Spend   |      |          |
| Variance                        | (Over)  |      |          |
| Availability                    |         |      |          |
| %                               | spend   |      |          |
| £m                              | £m      | £m   |          |
| FSA Total (RDEL & CDEL exc AME) |         |      |          |
| 120.7                           | 126.5   | 5.8  | 5%       |
| ˜                               |         |      |          |
| Westminster (including EU Exit) |         |      |          |
| Net Admin Expenditure           |         |      |          |
| 48.9                            | 49.8    | 0.9  | 2%       |
| ˜                               |         |      |          |
| Net Programme Expenditure       |         |      |          |
| 50.3                            | 53.1    | 2.8  | 5%       |
| ˜                               |         |      |          |
| Capital (CDEL)                  |         |      |          |
| 7.5                             | 8.6     | 1.1  | 13%      |
| ˜                               |         |      |          |
| Wales                           |         |      |          |
| RDEL & CDEL                     |         |      |          |
| 3.6                             | 3.7     | 0.1  | 3%       |
| ˜                               |         |      |          |
| Northern Ireland                |         |      |          |
| RDEL & CDEL                     |         |      |          |
| 10.4                            | 11.3    | 0.9  | 8%       |
| ˜                               |         |      |          |

## Breakdown Of Corporate Priorities

|                                                |              | 2020/21    | Under   |
|------------------------------------------------|--------------|------------|---------|
| Budget                                         | /            | (Over)     | Spend   |
| 2020/21                                        |              |            |         |
| Full Year                                      |              |            |         |
| Forecast                                       | Availability |            |         |
| £m                                             | £m           | £m         |         |
| FSA Total (RDEL & CDEL) (of which):            |              |            |         |
| 120.7                                          |              |            |         |
| 126.5                                          | 5.8          |            |         |
| Risk Assessment and other Science              |              |            |         |
| 10.5                                           | 11.0         | 0.5        |         |
| Risk Management and other Policy               |              |            |         |
| 6.5                                            | 7.1          | 0.6        |         |
| LA Support & Delivery of official controls     |              |            |         |
| 6.5                                            | 6.8          | 0.3        |         |
| National Food Crime Unit (NFCU)                |              |            |         |
| 4.3                                            | 4.8          | 0.5        |         |
| Operations excl. NFCU & COVID-19               |              |            |         |
| 21.8                                           | 24.0         | 2.2        |         |
| Doing the day job well                         |              |            |         |
| 46.9                                           | 51.3         | 4.4        |         |
| Capital                                        |              |            |         |
| 1.8                                            | 3.2          | 1.4        |         |
| Key Priorities (see next slide for breakdown): |              |            |         |
| 22.4                                           | 18.3         | (4.1)      |         |

## Breakdown Of Key Areas Of Spend

| 2020/21                       | Under        |  /    |
|-------------------------------|--------------|-------|
| Budget                        | Spend        |       |
| 2020/21                       |              |       |
| Full Year                     |              |       |
| Forecast                      | Availability |       |
| £m                            | £m           | £m    |
| Key Priorities (of which):    |              |       |
| 22.4                          | 18.3         | (4.1) |
| COVID-19                      |              |       |
| 4.5                           | 0.0          | (4.5) |
| EU Transition excl. NFCU      |              |       |
| 9.8                           | 10.2         | 0.4   |
| Achieving Business Compliance |              |       |
| 1.9                           | 1.9          | 0.0   |
| Operational Transformation    |              |       |
| 1.2                           | 1.2          | 0.0   |
| Food Hypersensitivity         |              |       |
| 2.2                           | 2.2          | 0.0   |
| Surveillance ( inc. Sampling) |              |       |
| 2.8                           | 2.8          | 0.0   |