AIMS asks for judicial review of new FSA fee increase
30th April 2025
The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has filed papers with the High Court seeking permission to judicially review the hourly charges for official controls and enforcement that came into effect on 1st April.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recently responded to claims made by AIMS denying that the producers are facing a 25% fee increase.
FSA has confirmed that no plants will see increases of 25% or higher. Before discount, 94% of plants will see rises below 20%.
The average pre-discount increase for small plants is 16%, for medium plants, it is 14%; and for large plants, it is 11%.
Because the discount pot has stayed level, the average increase to charges after discount for red meat slaughterhouses is 18%.
62% of red meat slaughterhouses will experience a post-discount increase at or below this level, with 23% of small red meat slaughterhouses experiencing a post-discount increase of below 10%, FSA explained.
READ MORE: Meat industry faces overnight fee increase and it is not April Fool’s joke
READ MORE: FSA responds to claims about ‘overnight’ fee increase
‘Many to be shocked by their increase in charges’
Explaining the reasons for the judicial review, AIMS’ veterinary director Peter Hewson, said: “The grounds are that not only have the Food Standards Agency (FSA) included costs that it cannot lawfully recover in those rates but that it cannot charge for Trainee Novice Official Veterinarians (TNROVs) and Novice Official Veterinarians (NOVs), along with all the supervision they require.
“Put simply, the industry is being charged ever higher rates by the FSA for fully qualified Official Veterinarians (Ovs) when, in many cases, their needs delivered by not fully qualified OVs.”
Mr Hewson added that the abattoir sector, the vast majority of whom are members of AIMS, will shortly receive FSA invoices for the first four weeks in which the new rates have been used.
“We expect many to be shocked by their increase in charges. Nevertheless, our advice is that invoices should be paid pending the challenge, which is intended to recover unlawful charges made over the last six years,” the AIMS veterinary director concluded.
AIMS has been receiving help from food law solicitors Roythornes on the matter.
Dr James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the FSA, has been approached by Farmers Guide for a comment.
He said: “As this is now a matter for the court, we will comment when the legal process concludes. In the meantime, more information on charging for our Official Controls can be found on food.gov.uk.”
Read more livestock news.
