§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether—
- (a) the Rose Bengal test for brucellosis in conjunction with the antigen used by Dr. Nicoletti has been compared in the field with the serum agglutination test, the milk ring test and the complement fixation test for simplicity, speed of result and reliability; and
- (b) they realise that, if the new test meets these requirements, it will warrant a complete reassessment of the whole brucellosis eradication scheme as at present administered.]
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, there are two forms of the Rose Bengal test for brucellosis. One is the card version described by Dr. Nicoletti in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 1967 as being specially suitable in ranching conditions which, as your Lordships well know, are not commonly found in Britain. The other is the plate version, developed at our own Central Veterinary Laboratory, which takes a little longer because the blood sample must be left for a few hours to coagulate. The Ministry has conducted special field and laboratory experiments to compare the reliability, simplicity, and expense of the two forms of the test. The experiments showed the plate technique to be simpler, cheaper and, above all, significantly more reliable.
Following these experiments the Ministry introduced the Rose Bengal plate test as the universal screening test under the new Brucellosis Scheme and its use for 922 screening in the official scheme, instead of the milk ring test, has since helped to improve and speed up the whole machinery of official testing.
The Government's considered veterinary advice is, first, that in British conditions the Rose Bengal plate test is the best available screening device; and secondly that "positives" to this or any form of Rose Bengal test need to be submitted to the more sophisticated serum agglutination and complement fixation tests. That advice was borne out by the results of the experiments I have described, and has since been further substantiated by working experience of the new incentives scheme.
LORD ROWALLANMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that very full Answer. I believe that there are quicker ways of dealing with these cases, and I myself am in the unfortunate position that I had a routine test of a herd taken last Tuesday and up to now there has been no reply whatsoever. It is most unsatisfactory from the point of view of the breeders that—
§ LORD AMULREEMy Lords, the noble Lord is making a speech. Could he not ask a question?
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (EARL JELLICOE)My Lords, I appologise for interrupting my noble friend Lord Rowallan. In view of the length of the Answer by my noble friend Lord Denham, I was letting him run on. But I think it would be helpful if he could put his point in the form of a question.
LORD ROWALLANMy Lords, I must apologise to your Lordships for once again transgressing the rules of the House. I will try to do better in future. Will the Government agree to some acceleration of the results of these tests, because it is most unsatisfactory for breeders not to know for a very considerable time the results of tests?
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government are quite aware of the importance of accelerating these tests as quickly as possible. Everything is being done in that respect that can be done.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMay I ask the honourable gentleman—
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, I presume that the one embraces the other.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord why re-infection is taking place in those areas where eradication was pioneered? Would he not say that this is due in part to ineffective tests?
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, I think that that supplementary is rather wide of the original Question.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, "tests" are mentioned in the Question.
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, I think that the matter of re-infection in a certain area is a little wide of the original Question. Her Majesty's Government are keeping a close watch on what is happening. As I said to my noble friend, they are taking every step they think possible to accelerate the eradication of brucellosis.
LORD NUNBURNHOLMEMy Lords, may I ask why a reactor to the brucellosis test is not killed straight away but has to be isolated for three weeks?
§ LORD DENHAMBecause, my Lords, there is no possible way of deciding which cow is a reactor and which is not. The Rose Bengal test is not one hundred per cent certain. It is pretty certain that a cow which actually has brucellosis will be positive to the Rose Bengal test; but it is not certain the other way round. Until more research is done it is impossible to say which cow definitely is a reactor.
LORD NUNBURNHOLMEMy Lords, I am not satisfied with that answer. If a cow is a reactor, it is a reactor. Why not kill it straight-away? Surely it is much better to kill a cow which is a reactor than to allow the chance of the disease being spread by a cowman to the rest of the herd?
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, if you did that throughout the country you would be killing a lot of healthy cows.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, is it not a fact that in the United States they kill doubtful reactors? If the 924 United States feel that this is necessary and effective, why do we not follow suit?
§ LORD BALERNOMy Lords, as the improved Rose Bengal plate test can now be done on the farm, and the answer made available in ten minutes, would the Government consider asking the general veterinary practitioners to carry out the tests and so considerably expedite the elimination of the disease?
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, the improved Rose Bengal plate test cannot at the moment be done on the farm. It is done in the laboratory.
§ LORD BLYTONMy Lords, can the noble Lord give us another enjoyable five minutes by re-reading his Answer to the original Question?
§ LORD DENHAMNo, my Lords, but but perhaps I could read it to the noble Lord privately later.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, will the noble Lord answer my question: why not follow the lead of the United States?
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, I am not entirely sure that in the United States of America all possible reactors are slaughtered straight away; but the position in other countries is, of course, carefully studied the whole time.
§ LORD BALERNOMy Lords, may I be allowed to draw the attention of the Government to the firm which manufactures a kit with which a test can be completed in ten minutes?
§ LORD DENHAMMy Lords, Her Majesty's Government know about this firm; in fact, to a certain extent they gave advice on the process.