The Poultry Meat, Farmed Game Bird Meat and Rabbit Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995

Supervision of premises

8.—(1) The Minister may designate veterinary surgeons as official veterinary surgeons and shall, in relation to any licensed premises, appoint one or more official veterinary surgeons, in each case to be an authorised officer of the Minister authorised to act in relation to the examination and seizure of meat, to provide the health certification of fresh meat in accordance with regulation 15 and to be responsible for the following functions in relation to those premises, that is to say—

(a)the authorisation of slaughter of birds or rabbits in accordance with Schedule 7;

(b)the post-mortem health inspection of slaughtered birds or rabbits in accordance with Schedule 9;

(c)the supervision of the health marking of fresh meat in accordance with Schedule 11;

(d)securing, in accordance with these Regulations, the observance of the requirements of Schedules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 14, as appropriate; and

(e)the carrying out of any necessary training of plant inspection assistants and the supervision of plant inspection assistants.

(2) Subject to paragraph (4) below, the Minister shall, in relation to any licensed premises, appoint such number of persons to act as inspectors in relation to the functions specified in paragraphs 1(a) to (e) above as appears to him to be necessary for the proper performance of those functions.

(3) An inspector appointed under paragraph (2) above shall act under the supervision and responsibility of an official veterinary surgeon.

(4) In considering whether it is necessary to appoint any inspector or inspectors in relation to any licensed premises, the Minister shall have regard to the availability at those premises of any plant inspection assistants.