On 18th July, Cocoms Managing Director, John Dyson, acting in his capacity as Food Adviser to the British Hospitality Association gave evidence to the National Assembly's Health & social Care Committee, opposing the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Bill, which makes it compulsory to display ratings on premises and imposes charges for requesting re-inspections.
Though research indicates that 94% of Welsh residents want compulsory display, on 50% claim to have even heard of the schemes, and we doubt many of these really understand the complexities of the 0 to 5 point ratings.
Consistency is critical, but lacking, with 30% of Welsh inspected premises rated 0, 1 or 2, but on 15% in England and 9% in Northern Ireland.