BHA warns against FSA bureaucracy

Restaurants, hotels and caterers face a "bureaucratic nightmare" if the Food Standards Agency (FSA) adopts proposals to license all food premises, warns the British Hospitality Association (BHA).

The draft bill for a UK-wide agency, published in January, omitted the introduction of licensing but the Food Standards Committee last week said it favoured a licensing system for all food premises.

The committee also suggested that the tax to support the FSA should be based on turnover rather than the £90 flat fee proposal.

Although the BHA prefers this graded payment, it dislikes the licensing proposal.

"Licensing will cost so much to administer and will give no contribution towards food safety. The current registration system just needs to be better enforced," said Phil Phillips, technical services manager of the BHA.

The HCIMA is in favour of licensing but agrees it could be "difficult" to administer.

The Government is considering the committee's recommendation of a graded payment.

However, the committee raised concern that the draft bill offered "no cap" to possible increases in the levy and warned that the annual levy could in future amount to a total of £600 per premises.

"We believe that this would be unacceptable," it says.