§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence and minutes of meetings between Mr. John Whitfield, the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor) from 1983 to 1987, Prosper De Mulder Ltd. and Government Departments relating to the use of meat and bone products in animal feeds; and if he will make a statement. [34028]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 21 June 1996]: No. It is not normal policy to publish such correspondence. The Government's response to bovine spongiform encephalopathy has from the outset been informed by, and based on, our scientific knowledge of the disease. The Government encourage the publication of research relating to BSE, in particular where it has been funded and commissioned by MAFF. The BSE eradication plan, published by the Government on 31 May and available in the Library of the House, lists all the MAFF commissioned research on BSE to date. I also refer the hon. Member to my statement in the House on 24 June, Official Report, columns 21–24.