HC Deb 08 March 1990 vol 168 cc994-5
10. Mr. Boyes

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning the level of compensation payable for cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Mr. Gummer

I have received many representations supporting my announcement of 13 February 1990.

Mr. Boyes

The Minister will be aware that there has been a staggering increase in the number of cows notified as having BSE since he introduced the 100 per cent. scheme. Does not that show the reckless negligence of the Minister in not having introduced the schemes earlier, with the result that contaminated cows have entered the food chain? What new measures does the Minister have to protect the food chain and, above all, to protect my constituents who are extremely concerned?

Mr. Gummer

The only recklessness is the hon. Gentleman's in believing a report in The Guardian without checking the facts. There has been an increase in the number of cows reported as having BSE since I made my announcement as there was before I made it. When I made my announcement I said that I was doing so because that increase had taken place and would continue to take place because of the nature of the disease and the time that it takes to come out from original contamination. II am happy to tell the hon. Gentleman that there is no question of any danger to public health because for extra protection we remove from every animal taken to slaughter the offal that might otherwise have been thought to harbour the disease.

Mr. Hague

Will my right hon. Friend accept congratulations from his hon. Friend on his decision to increase compensation? Will he confirm that the beef trade with West Germany is almost back to normal? Does not that vindicate those who kept calm during the recent media excitement and rightly pointed out that, given the range of measures that he has taken, British beef is perfectly safe to eat at home or abroad.

Mr. Gummer

There is no question but that the first priority of Government is to protect the health of the public and we have done that. The second priority is for the House not to create needless rumours or fears as the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) has done.

Dr. David Clark

Has the Minister noticed that the number of BSE-infected cows notified is running in excess of 460 per week? Does he accept that that figure is considerably higher than the peak figure anticipated by his own advisory committee, the Southwood committee, which suggested a peak of between 350 and 400 per week? Does he appreciate that there is therefore deep concern on both sides of the House? Finally, will he do one more thing and undertake a random survey of 10 per cent. of all cattle slaughtered at abbatoirs and slaughterhouses so that we can gauge accurately how widespread this pernicious disease is?

Mr. Gummer

As usual, the hon. Gentleman mixes up two wholly separate things and, not surprisingly, comes to the wrong conclusion as a result. What are the two different situations? First, there has been, is, and will be —over the next few months and, indeed, probably for the next year or so—a continuing growth in the number of cases of BSE. That is exactly what I have said and what I shall go on saying. It has not changed at all; it is in the nature of the disease. These are not new cases; they are coming out because animals ate contaminated feed. The second issue is whether the Southwood committee was exactly right in the number of cases that it predicted. The growth that it predicted was exactly right. That is what we are seeing. The committee predicted that the growth would be exactly as we have seen it; its figures were merely slightly lower than the ones that we have at the moment. [Interruption.] The hon. Gentleman may laugh, but the fact is that he is using figures to frighten people who need not be frightened. He is instilling in people a fear that they need not have. As so often, he ought to be ashamed of himself.