HC Deb 16 May 1996 vol 277 cc576-8W
Mr. Cohen

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library all publications resulting from research sponsored by his Department into the transmissibility of spongiform encephalopathies with particular reference to scrapie and BSE. [25192]

Mrs. Browning

I have placed a bibliography of research into transmissible spongiform encephalopathies—TSEs— detailing much of the published work carried out by the three main research centres in the United Kingdom which receive Government funding, in the Library.

Arrangement for publications on Government-funded TSE research by other institutions are dealt with by the author. Details of these publications are not held centrally.

Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what checks are made on(a) animal feed factories, (b) farms, (c) marts, (d) abattoirs, (e) meat wholesalers and (f) the rendering industry to prevent further production fo contaminated animal feed and to prevent BSE-contaminated material entering the food chain. [28539]

Mrs. Browning

The Specified Bovine Material (No. 2) Order 1996 lays down the requirements for the handling of specified bovine material—SBM—as defined in the order. It is the responsibility fo slaughterhouse operators and fresh meat wholesalers to comply in full with the controls on SBM. These are vital controls and full compliance is expected and will be enforced. Enforcement responsibilities in such premises lie with the Meat Hygiene Service—MHS. The MHS has enforced, and continues to enforce, the SBM controls rigorously and has reminded all staff at licensed premises of the importance of ensuring 100 per cent. compliance.

Random sampling in mills producing animal feed commenced on 5 February. Up to 9 May, 1,210 samples had been taken at 574 visits. Eight of the samples, all taken prior to 29 March, were positive for mammalian protein and have been investigated. Mills identified as high risk for whatever reason are receiving weekly sampling visits. Farms that have had a case of BSE and where on-farm mixes appear to have been fed are also being visited, and samples are being taken if it is thought necessary. Mills that are mixing medication into feed are required to be licensed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain—RPSGB. Category A mills are mainly large compounders and are permitted to mix less than 2kg of medication per tonne of finished feed. Category B mills are mainly on-farm mixers, but some compounders, who are permitted to mix medication only at inclusion rates of more than 2kg per tonne. If medication is not mixed, millers/mixers are not required to be registered. Most of these unregistered premises, but not all, are on-farm mixers. All category A mills will be visited during the coming month and a questionnaire is being sent to all category B mills to determine whether the premises need to be visited for sampling purposes.

Any animals taken to market which are suspected of being affected by BSE must be reported to the Ministry. Animals confirmed by the Ministry's veterinary officer as being affected by BSE are destroyed and their carcases sent for disposal by incineration. All animals going for slaughter are subject to an ante mortem inspection at the slaughterhouse. Animals identified at the slaughterhouse as being BSE suspects are reported to the Ministry. The Ministry's veterinary officer visits the premises and, if the diagnosis is confirmed, arranges for the animal to be destroyed and disposed of.

Checks on rendering plants are currently made by weekly unannounced visits by the state veterinary service. These ensure that rendering plants handle only the categories of material which they are approved for and, where appropriate, that SBM and non-SBM material is kept separate by use of dedicated processing facilities. Records of amounts of material being handled are also checked.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the projected total cost of all proposed and current support measures introduced to deal with BSE for the years(a) 1995, (b) 1996, (c) 1997 and (d) 1998. [29621]

Mrs. Browning

The total estimated cost of measures in the UK taken in response to the BSE situation is £1.01 billion in 1996–97, £0.74 billion in 1997–98 and £0.68 billion in 1998–99.