Volume 9: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Part 1: Wales
5. Chronological account of specific Welsh issues
The Meat Hygiene Service

5.73 The only other issue of note in which the Welsh - or rather, in this case, a Minister - expressed reservations about Whitehall policy was the creation of the national Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) (see vol. 6: Human Health, 1989-96). In August 1993 the Secretary of State for Wales, Mr John Redwood, wrote to the MAFF Minister, Mrs Gillian Shephard:

. . . I have had doubts about the wisdom of establishing another body to carry out the work of meat hygiene and enforcement. In general, I would prefer not to add to centralised bodies where effective arrangements can be made using existing local structures. ¹

5.74 However, according to Mrs Shephard's statement, ² the subsequent discussions among Ministers in various Departments centred on the immediate and future costs involved in the changeover from local authority to MHS control, and whether or not the new Service was in line with the Deregulation Initiative and reducing public expenditure. Mr Redwood eventually withdrew his opposition in November, following the expression by the Secretary of State for Scotland of strong support for the new Service. ³