What is Primary Authority?

  • Compass have a long-established Primary Authority partnership agreement with Luton Council's Environmental Health Department in relation to providing regulatory advice and guidance on all matters environmental health, to include food safety and hygiene policies and procedures.
  • Primary Authority is a means for businesses to receive assured and tailored advice on meeting environmental health food safety and hygiene regulations through a single point of contact. 
  • Primary Authority evaluate company policy and provides guidance that all other regulating authorities in England must follow in evaluating compliance within the regulations, helping to deliver consistent local enforcement standards for multisite food businesses like Compass.

 

What does it cover:

  • The Compass Primary Authority agreement covers Environmental Health, and covers all trading names registered under Compass UK & Ireland Ltd. 

 

Who does it cover:

  • The legal scope of the Primary Authority partnership covers Compass business units operating within England.
  • Regulating authorities operating within Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not legally obliged to adhere to any Assured Advice issued through Primary Authority, but they are encouraged and do take note of any issued Primary Authority Assured Advice, should enforcement action be considered.

 

 Assured Advice

  • Where Primary Authority are satisfied Compass operational procedures demonstrate that legal requirements are met, and where food safety and hygiene operational procedures are properly implemented locally, Primary Authority have the powers to block proposed enforcement action.