Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

HC Deb 14 December 1994 vol 251 c720W

Mrs. Lait

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Mrs. Browning

A further report on BSE in Great Britain is available today. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

The report provides information about the effect of the ruminant ban on the course of the epidemic, the continuing decline in the incidence of the disease, the measures taken to control the disease, and to protect animal and human health, and the on-going research programme.

The number of cases of BSE being reported at present is 41 per cent. fewer than at the same time last year and for the first time there is a downturn in the incidence of BSE in five-year-old animals. Both changes are attributed to the ban of feeding ruminant protein to ruminant animals, which was introduced in 1988.