Charges for official controls in approved meat establishments for 2026-27

3.1 Regulated work

The meat hygiene official controls FSS deliver at approved meat establishments in Scotland are referred to in this guide as “regulated work” in that the work undertaken is required by legislation. The Charges Regulations require that these controls be charged directly to the FBO based on time worked by Meat Hygiene Inspectors (MHIs), Official Veterinarians (OVs) or audit and approvals officers providing the service. The charging arrangements also include provision for discounts, and details of these can be found in this guide. Any discount arrangement in place is included in the estimated and reconciled charges made to FBOs.

3.2 Non-regulated work

FSS makes separate charges to the meat industry for work that is not regulated by official controls law, for example assessments of slaughterers and animal handlers on Temporary Certificates of Competence. For this ‘non-regulated work,’ FSS charges are based on the time-cost of providing the service and no discount applies to non-regulated work unless this work is carried out within the business agreement hours. Travel time may be charged for non-regulatory work.

3.3 Government and other customers

FSS also charge other UK Government Departments and other customers for work carried out on their behalf, such as checks on animal by product controls. These charges are based on the actual cost of carrying out the work.

3.4 How are the charges calculated?

The table at Annex A sets out the hourly charging rates for regulated and non-regulated work. Hourly charge rates are devised to cover costs from two components: 

• direct costs of frontline staff, for example, salary costs - including National Insurance and pension contributions
• indirect support costs driven by official controls for meat, for example, operational and administrative support to frontline staff.

Indirect support costs are worked out on an activity-based costing model.

3.5 Business Agreement (BA)

From 1 April 2015, the charging arrangements for each FBO in approved meat establishments in Scotland are set out in the FBOs Business Agreement (BA). This is a key document on which charges and discounts will be based.

The BA is agreed and signed by both parties at the beginning of each quarter.  It will include the key information required for charges – based on estimated figures of time and throughput etc. The BA will include details of the weekly estimated charges. 

Any time worked in excess of a BA will be charged monthly.

To estimate the costs for the BA, two main elements are used: 

• time-based charges
• a discount to reduce the time-based charge, if applicable.

3.6 Charges and allowances

Charges are based on information provided by both the FBO and FSS staff. As laid out in regulation 5 of the 2009 Regulations, FBOs are required to supply FSS with any information it may reasonably require for the purpose of calculating charges. 
This information includes:
•    operating hours
•    throughput data (to calculate FBO discount)
•    information relating to the trading and legal status of the business.
 

FSS time-based charges are calculated by multiplying the time spent carrying out official controls (to the nearest quarter hour) that has been estimated in the BA or actual time spent by the appropriate hourly charge out rate. FSS will charge FBOs for all the hours specified in their BA except where staff are not required, and they can be redeployed elsewhere on other chargeable activity; or where there are other significant reasons to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Where there are changes in FSS charging, for example changes to the hourly rates, these will be applied from the date of the change and not retrospectively. Time based charges may include transactions and adjustments from earlier periods where they have not already been processed.

The discount will be calculated and divided equally over the 12 months for invoicing purposes, based on the previous year’s throughput. This sum will be a fixed amount and will not change during the year.

Time based charges for non-regulated work, e.g. exports certification, are calculated by multiplying the hours worked by the charge-out rates for each grade of staff. No discount is applied for work that is conducted outside the BA, and the charges are shown on the same invoice as for official controls.

The time required for both initial and on-going assessment of Poultry Inspection Assistants (PIAs) competency will be coded under Official Controls and the costs thereof will be chargeable to the FBO.

Any time worked outside of the BA will also be included in the time costs and invoiced accordingly e.g. if the daily finishing time of the plant extends beyond that specified in the BA. Time worked outside the BA is not subject to discount.

In addition to the normal hours worked by FSS staff, other elements may be included to arrive at the time cost charge: 
•    chargeable allowances - see section 3.8
•    overtime and other local staffing arrangements - see section 3.9
 

3.7    Hourly charge-out rates

FSS charge-out rates are calculated each year and are made up of OV/MHI staff costs (both employed and contracted) and overheads as applicable within the resourcing model for Field Operations. Changes to hourly charge-out rates for official controls are made after advance notification to industry stakeholders. FSS commit to giving FBOs a minimum of fourteen days’ notice prior to any new charge-out rates coming into effect. The charge-out rates are included in this guide at Annex A. 

3.8    Chargeable allowances

Certain contractual allowances paid to FSS staff as a result of an FBO’s business operating hours are chargeable and are added to the time cost calculation. The amounts charged to the FBO include the amount paid to FSS employee plus costs such as National Insurance and pension contributions. 
Information about the various categories of chargeable allowance will be included in the BA, and any allowances paid will be invoiced monthly. The following is an example of an allowance that might be covered: daily unsocial/night hours - where an FSS staff member has worked outside FSS core working hours in order to service the BA.
Allowances will not be included in time costs when the employee is not available to carry out work.
 

3.9    Overtime and other local staffing arrangements

Overtime and other local staffing arrangements will also be included in the agreed BA:
•    contractual overtime - where there is a routine working pattern for Inspection services within the BA which routinely generates overtime for FSS employees above their base FSS contractual hours this may become part of the FSS employees' terms and conditions.
 

3.10    Public and privilege holidays

Area 1 & 2 (Aligns with Aberdeen Regional Holidays)

Public Holidays (premium rate charges apply):
•    Monday 6th April (Easter Monday)
•    Monday 4th May (May Day Holiday)
•    Monday 15th of June (World Cup Holiday)
•    Monday 13th July (Aberdeen Trades Holiday (floating Bank Holiday))
•    Monday 28th September (Autumn Holiday (floating Bank Holiday))
•    Friday 25th December (Christmas Day)
•    Monday 28th December (Boxing Day)
•    Friday 1st January (New Year’s Day)
•   Monday 4th January (New Year’s Day Holiday)

Privilege Days (standard charges apply):
•    Friday  3rd April (Good Friday)
•    Friday 10th July (Aberdeen Trades Holiday)
•    Friday 25th September (Autumn Holiday, pm only)
•    Monday 30th November (St Andrew’s Day Holiday) 
 

Area 3 (Aligns with Glasgow Regional Holidays)

Public Holidays (premium rate charges apply):

• Monday 6th April (Easter Monday)
• Monday 4th May (May Day Holiday)
• Monday 15th of June (World Cup Holiday)
• Monday 20th July (Glasgow Fair Monday (floating Bank Holiday))
• Monday 28th September (Autumn Holiday (floating Bank Holiday))
• Friday 25th December (Christmas Day)
• Monday 28th December (Boxing Day)
• Friday 1st January (New Year’s Day)
• Monday 4th January (New Year’s Day Holiday)

Privilege Days (standard charges apply):

• Friday 3rd April (Good Friday)
• Monday 25th May (Spring Holiday)
• Friday 25th September (Autumn Holiday, pm only)
• Monday 30th  November (St Andrew’s Day Holiday) 

Please note that “floating Bank Holidays” can be exchanged for other variations to regional trade holiday days through consultation with the Operations Manager and recorded in the Business Agreement. Alternative exchange dates will be regarded as premium rate in alignment with their original Public Holiday status.  

3.11 Overtime rates

When an FBO needs FSS employees to work beyond their normal contracted hours FSS will pay them at their contracted rate, which may be a premium overtime rate. This cost is chargeable to the FBO and will be included as part of their total time costs.

3.12 Facility time

Any facility time is charged at a maximum of 30 minutes per day paid to FSS employees (for example, time to dress in protective clothing and cleaning up time) and this will be included in the time costs. 
 

3.13 Relief cover

If the normal Inspector is unavailable, FSS will supply a replacement. The costs of the replacement (including the costs of any allowances the replacement Inspector may receive) will be included as part of the time costs charged. FBOs will not be charged for the normal Inspector in addition to the replacement Inspector.

3. 14 Travel time

FSS employees are paid for any time spent travelling between premises during their normal working hours but excludes time for the commute to their normal place of work. This paid travel time is not chargeable directly to the FBO operator, but the cost is included in the hourly charge-out rates.

Travel time for contract staff is included in their agreed payment rates, and you will not be directly charged for this, unless it is part of the work carried out for CoC assessments (non-regulated work), or ‘additional official controls’, in which case you might be charged for both travel time and mileage. 

3.15 Audit

FSS charges for audits based on an hourly rate for all work related to audits: remote documentation review, site inspections and report writing (travel time and associated costs are not directly chargeable to the individual FBO but are accounted for in the hourly rate).

FBOs will also be charged for at least one unannounced inspection (UAI) based on actual time incurred and the rate of the officer undertaking it, including any time required to resolve non-compliance matters that may also result in a chargeable follow-up visit.

There are no discount arrangements for audits or UAIs or any activity related to non-compliance.

3.15 Approvals

Visit our website to view requirements for obtaining approvals.

FSS charges for approvals are based on an hourly rate. This will include time spent by the officer on preparation, visiting establishments and report writing (travel time and associated costs are not directly chargeable to the individual FBO but are accounted for in the hourly rate).

There are no discount arrangements for approval charges.

3.17 Charges for Certificate of Competence

Charges for businesses undertaking assessment from FSS are the OV hourly rate if said OV is attending outside any business agreement requirement, along with additional travel time, report writing (if required) and mileage.
The business will be invoiced the charges to FSS as charged by the Qualification authority, along with a further charge to cover the FSS administration of awarding the certificate.