§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what mechanisms his Department is able to identify the cattle assessed as being at risk from BSE which require to be slaughtered under the Florence agreement; how many such cattle there are in England and Wales; and what is the minimum practical time scale for completing the accelerated cull in England and Wales. [2134]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe Government have announced that it is not proceeding with the selective cull at present until the scientific evidence and options for a certified herd72W scheme have been considered further. The animals would need to be identified by reference to farm records. It is not possible to say how many animals might be involved, their location, or how long any cull programme might take, until that further analysis has been carried out and a decision taken. The estimated number of animals covered by our original proposals, and the distribution of natal herds, is contained in the UK's eradication plan, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.