Catalogue description Meat Hygiene Service: Meat Hygiene Service Board: minutes and papers

The Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) Board operated at arm's length from the day-to-day management of the MHS by providing strategic direction and holding the MHS to account for its performance.

The MHS Board was established in November 2004 as a sub-committee of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board. The Board was also known as the MHS Governing Board, the MHS Ownership Board, the MHS Supervisory Board, and the Meat Hygiene Advisory Committee (MHAC).

Its Terms of Reference were:

• (i) to give strategic direction to the MHS within the overall strategy agreed by the FSA Board, the relevant legal requirements, and any other relevant constraints or targets which may be set by the Treasury or the appropriate Ministers;
• (ii) to set appropriate targets for the MHS and to monitor its performance, and thence and otherwise to hold the MHS to account on behalf of the FSA Board.

The MHS Board was responsible for ensuring good governance of the MHS, and that the MHS fulfils its purpose of protecting public health, and animal health and welfare. It was chaired by the FSA Deputy Chair and includes three other FSA Board members, two independent external members, the FSA Chief Executive, the MHS Chief Executive, and the UK Chief Veterinary Officer.

In order to enhance the MHS Board's ability to provide independent challenge and support, it was agreed (on establishing the Board) to appoint two independent members who, unlike other MHS Board members, would not be connected with the FSA Board or the FSA Executive.

The MHS Board acted as the Pay and Performance Committee for the MHS Chief Executive. The FSA Board has formally delegated responsibility to the MHS Board to act on its behalf, within the MHS Board's Terms of Reference. However, the FSA Board retained ultimate responsibility and to facilitate this, the Chair of the MHS Board reported formally on its work to an open meeting of the FSA Board at least twice a year.

In 2007 it merged with the Board of the Food Standards Agency.