Welsh Conservatives have raised concerns about decreases in spending on food hygiene by local authorities in the last 5 years.
Figures obtained by Shadow Health Minister Andrew RT Davies AM detail that spending since 2005 has dropped.
Commenting on the figures, Mr Davies said:
“These figures make for alarming reading. We heard back in March that not all the recommendations of the Pennington report were being fully implemented and these figures seem to suggest that we are not seeing the necessary steps being taken to improve food hygiene in Wales.
“It is fundamentally important that robust, effect measures are in place to ensure that consumers in Wales receive the best possible protection from harmful bacteria that can live in food.
“It is also deeply concerning that the Minister holding the portfolio for Local Government does not have the jurisdiction to ensure that local authorities are implementing environmental health and food hygiene improvement measures.
“Serious questions remain unanswered over how effectively measures to improve food safety are being managed when there is a void in central government authority.
“The Assembly Government must offer strong leadership to avoid a repeat of the outbreak in 2005 which had such tragic consequences.”
