Our Board
The Food Standards Agency is a non-Ministerial Government Department led by a Board rather than directly by Ministers. The Board comprises a Chair, Deputy Chair and between eight and twelve ordinary members of whom one is appointed by the Welsh Health Minister, one by the Northern Ireland Health Minister, two by the Scottish Health Minister and the remainder by the Secretary of State for Health.
Board Meetings
Board Members are required to act in the public interest and not to represent particular sectors. Collectively they have a wide range of relevant skills and experience.
The Board is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the FSA, ensuring that it fulfils its legal obligations so that its decisions or actions take proper account of scientific advice, the interests of the consumer and other relevant factors.
Day to day management of the FSA is delegated to officials through the Chief Executive.
The Board oversees the work of the Executive and holds it to account for delivering the decisions of the Board.
The Board holds meetings in public, and publishes Board meeting agendas, papers and decisions. This gives the public an opportunity to see how the Board goes about discussing the FSA's policies and reviewing its work. Video-on-demand recordings of past open Board meetings can also be found on the website. Open meetings are therefore one of the ways in which the FSA demonstrates its commitment to being open, accessible and transparent.
To register for the next Board Meeting please complete the registration form
For other queries or to register for future Board meetings:
Email fsaboardmeetings@glasgows.co.uk
Tel: 01772 767730
Fax: 01772 767555
Find out more
Open Board meetings
Agendas and papers for Board meetings and final copies of the minutes, agreed by the Board.
About the Board members
This is information on the Board Members’ biographies, register of interests, record of attendance and their engagements.
The way the Board works
The Board has the following rules to guide the way it operates and makes decisions.
Future Board dates and agendas
Dates and agenda items for future meetings. All entries in this programme are provisional. Items may be moved to other dates or removed entirely depending on circumstances. Further items will be added from month to month.
Board Committees of the FSA Board
The Board has appointed an Audit, Risk and Succession and Development Committee to exercise some of its responsibilities and to advise it on others.
Effectiveness review
The Board of the Agency, in line with best governance practice, regularly reviews its own effectiveness.
Intersessional Papers
Intersessional papers are used for issues that arise during Board meetings - for example, during the Chair’s or Chief Executive’s reports - that prompt the Board to ask for further information, and for issues that arise between Board meetings that the Board needs to be informed about.