HC Deb 28 June 1990 vol 175 cc327-9W
21. Mr. Key

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on BSE and British beef.

Mr. Gummer

I can do no better than quote the Department of Health's chief medical officer, who said that beef can be eaten safely by everyone. This view has been endorsed by Europe's top scientists.

25. Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the Meat and Livestock Commission to discuss BSE.

40. Mr. Murphy

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the Meat and Livestock Commission to discuss BSE.

51. Mr. Patchett

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the Meat and Livestock Commission to discuss BSE.

Mr. Gummer

I met the chairman of the Meat and Livestock Commission on 8 June to discuss BSE.

30. Mr. Riddick

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence he has of the effect on exports from and imports into Britain of the BSE scare.

Mr. Gummer

As yet it is too early to draw any firm conclusions on the effect of the BSE scare on exports from and imports into the United Kingdom.

31. Mr. Illsley

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about his discussions with European Community Agriculture Ministers about BSE.

Mr. Gummer

I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made to the House on 7 June.

37. Mr. Donald Thompson

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the incidence of BSE in other countries.

Mr. Gummer

BSE has been reported in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Oman, where two animals previously exported from Britain were later confirmed as having the disease.

41. Mr. Lewis

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to take further action to control the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Mr. Gummer

The Government have already introduced comprehensive measures to deal with BSE. However, should scientific advice indicate that further action is called for, I will not hesitate to act.

44. Mr. Kennedy

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will report on progress concerning the incidence of BSE, its notification and elimination; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer

It is not expected that there will be significant decline until 1993, after which numbers should fall until its subsequent disappearance.

54. Mr. Latham

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a further statement on Government measures relating to bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Mr. Gummer

The Government have introduced comprehensive measures, based on the very best scientific advice, to tackle all aspects of BSE.

59. Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received regarding BSE.

Mr. Gummer

I have received representations about BSE from consumer, producer and other interests.

68. Mr. Gill

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the damage to the industry resulting from the bovine spongiform encephalopathy scare.

Mr. Gummer

It is not possible to isolate the effects of BSE. Clean cattle marketings in England and Wales in the week ending 16 June were higher than those in the week before the import bans were imposed by France and other member states, and prices were also slightly up. Increased support buying of beef under the European Community intervention arrangements coupled with the lifting of the import bans imposed by certain member states should help to sustain the market.

72. Mr. Geraint Howells

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further representations he has received from the presidents of the farmers unions of Wales on BSE; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maclean

I have received representations about BSE from various quarters, including the National Farmers Union of Wales.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the implication of the Wilding committee's recommendation that basic research should be confined to specialist research institutions for the conducting of research into BSE at the central veterinary laboratory at Weybridge.

Mr. Maclean

I assume that the hon. Member's question relates to the report of the Wildy committee.

The Department funds strategic and applied R and D into animal diseases and I am satisfied that the central veterinary laboratory at Weybridge has the necessary specialist expertise to carry out such research into BSE. The Ministry will continue to commission research at the CVL in an effort to understand, control and eradicate this disease. Basic research is of course currently being funded by the Department of Education and Science at the AFRC's Institute of Animal Health.