§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the new projects that he is now funding on bovine spongiform encephalopathy; how much is to be spent on each; where they are to be located; and how many scientists he expects to work on each.
§ Mr. GummerMy Department is funding work on BSE to the value of £6.1 million over the years 1990–91 to 1992–93. The projects being funded are:
- (a) epidemiology; £0.6 million; at the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL);
- (b) clinicopathology; £0.6 million; at the CVL;
- (c) transmission studies; £2.1 million; at the CVL, the Neuropathogenesis Unit (NPU) and the Royal Veterinary College;
573 - (d) molecular biology; £0.5 million; at the CVL and NPU;
- (e) molecular genetics; £0.5 million; at the CVL and NPU; and
- (f) dam-offspring transmissions; £1.8 million; by the CVL at ADAS experimental husbandry farms.
Further details of these research projects are contained in the interim Tyrrell report, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. It is not possible to give a meaningful breakdown of the scientific staff to be engaged on each project.