HC Deb 25 March 1993 vol 221 cc1226-7
7. Mr. David Evans

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current number of bovines diagnosed as suffering from BSE.

Mr. Soames

Up to 19 March, 89,014 cases have been confirmed since 1986. New suspects are being reported at a higher rate than last year because animals born immediately before the July 1988 ruminant feed ban are now reaching the age at which disease is most likely to occur. However, the rate of increase has slowed dramatically.

Mr. Evans

I thank the Minister for his reply. Does he agree that if we had listened to the rantings of that lot opposite, there would not be a British beef industry? It is only as a result of my hon. Friend and his Ministry keeping their nerve that the British beef industry is in such good heart. When these beasts get the disease, do they jump up and down, do they shake their heads, do they lose their way and do they have glazed eyes? Does that remind my hon. Friend of that lot opposite? Would it be a good idea for my hon. Friend to send a senior vet down to Walworth road this afternoon?

Mr. Soames

The House will be pleased to hear that a live test is about to become a fact of life. My hon. Friend may find it convenient to offer that test to the Leader of the Opposition. My hon. Friend is perfectly correct on the more substantial point. The scaremongering attached to this serious matter has not helped. My hon. Friend is also entirely correct in that the findings of the Southwood report and of the Tyrrell report, all the proper, fully constituted and substantiated scientific evidence that has been placed before the House and everything that we have laid before the House are going entirely according to plan. The disease is working its way through the system and we hope that we shall shortly see some substantial progress.

Dr. Strang

As the experiment that the Minister set up to establish whether there is maternal transmission of BSE from cow to calf will not be concluded for another three years, would it be a wise, precautionary measure to implement the recommendation of the Select Committee on Agriculture and to extend the offal sales ban to all animals, including animals under the age of six months?

Mr. Soames

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. There is no evidence that there is maternal transmission; if it were a significant factor in the epidemic, we should have seen it now. Even if it does occur, it will not prevent the epidemic from disappearing. The question of the various other animal feeds has been around for some time, and both our professional scientific advisers have not felt it necessary to implement a ban.

Miss Emma Nicholson

Will my hon. Friend endorse the basic scientific research into BSE which is being conducted by the Medical Research Council, whose painstaking work on the different types of scrapie is most likely to bring the answer soonest, although it does not seem likely to be the answer offered by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang)?

Mr. Soames

My hon. Friend is right. The scientific research into this difficult and serious matter has been painstakingly and brilliantly conducted by a wide range of scientists from not only the Medical Research Council but the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Central Veterinary Laboratory and others. My hon. Friend will be pleased to note that the increase in newly reported cases has slowed dramatically. There was an 80 per cent. increase between early 1991 and early 1992, but an increase of only 8 per cent. between early 1992 and 1993. Science has done us well and we look forward to the proper conclusion of this matter as the disease gradually works its way out of the system.