HC Deb 10 June 1998 vol 313 cc598-601W
Mr. Levitt

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effect of BSE on the knackers' trade. [44357]

Mr. Rooker

Cattle displaying clinical signs suggestive of BSE are not sent to knackers yards. They are slaughtered on farm and the carcases taken to incineration facilities contracted to the Department to deal with BSE suspects.

Following the announcement on BSE in March 1996, some £97 million was made available for the rendering industry in the financial year 1996–97. In return, renderers were required to maintain pre-crisis prices and charges to all their suppliers of animal waste. A further £59 million of aid, also designed to help the entire red meat/animal waste chain, was made available during the financial year 1997–98. The support was always intended to be temporary and was phased out gradually during 1997–98 to enable the chain to adjust to the changing economics.

The knacker industry is playing an important role in the collection and transport of Over Thirty Months Scheme casualty animals to incineration facilities. Over 140,000 have been handled to date. However, the Government are aware of the concern being expressed by the knacker industry about the increased costs of collecting other fallen stock following the removal of support. Officials are liaising with farming representatives to consider how farmers should, in future, dispose of fallen stock and to encourage the industry to put suitable arrangements in place.

Mr. Maclean

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the incidence of BSE by cattle breed in 1997 and 1998 to date. [44897]

Mr. Rooker

The number of cattle confirmed as having BSE in Great Britain in 1997 and 1998 to date are listed by cattle breed in the table.

Number of confirmed cases by breed and year of slaughter as at 5 June 1998
Breed 1997 1998
Aberdeen Angus 8 1
Aberdeen Angus x 16 0
Aberdeen Angus x Charolais 1 0
Aberdeen Angus x Friesian 15 2
Ayrshire 23 4
Ayrshire x Shorthorn 1 0
Belgian Blue 1 1
Belgian Blue x 3 2
Black Hereford 1 0
Blonde d'Aquitaine 3 0
Blonde d'Aquitaine x 3 1
Blonde d'Aquitaine x Friesian 6 0
Blue Grey 1 0
British White 1 0
Brown Swiss 10 1
Brown Swiss x 5 0
Brown Swiss x Friesian 13 2
Brown Swiss x Guernsey 1 0
Canadian Holstein 1 0
Charolais 7 1
Charolais x 17 1
Charolais x Belgian Blue 1 0
Charolais x Friesian 7 2
Charolais x Guernsey 1 0
Charolais x Hereford 1 0
Charolais x Holstein 1 0
Charolais x Limousin 1 0
Charolais x Simmental 1 0
Charolais x South Devon 1 0
Devon x Friesian 1 0
Friesian 3,055 474
Friesian x 11 2
Friesian x Ayrshire 4 0
Friesian x Belgian Blue 2 0
Friesian x Galloway 0 1
Friesian x Holstein 322 59
Friesian x South Devon 1 0
Guernsey 37 6
Guernsey x Jersey 1 0
Guernsey x Merse Rhine Issel 1 0
Hereford 15 1
Hereford x 118 13
Hereford x Friesian 122 11
Hereford x Simmental 2 0
Highland 3 0
Holstein 90 21
Holstein x 2 0
Jersey 40 2
Jersey x 1 0
Jersey x Friesian 3 0
Limousin 17 2
Limousin x 64 9
Limousin x Friesian 37 3
Limousin x Hereford 0 1
Number of confirmed cases by breed and year of slaughter as at 5 June 1998
Breed 1997 1998
Limousin x Jersey 1 0
Limousin x Luing 1 0
Limousin x Simmental 1 0
Longhorn 1 0
Meuse Rhine Issel 2 0
Meuse Rhine Issel x Guernsey 1 0
Meuse Rhine Issel x Jersey 1 0
Montbelliarde 1 0
Murray Grey 1 0
Murray Grey x Friesian 1 0
Murray Grey x Jersey 1 0
Not recorded 61 90
Red Friesian 8 0
Red Friesian x 2 0
Red Poll 2 0
Saler x 1 0
Saler x Friesian 1 0
Shetland 1 0
Shorthorn 1 0
Shorthorn x 3 0
Shorthorn x Friesian 2 1
Simmental 19 4
Simmental x 56 9
Simmental x Friesian 33 4
Simmental x Holstein 2 0
Sioux 0 1
South Devon 2 1
South Devon x 0 1
Sussex x 1 0
Sussex x Friesian 3 1
Welsh Black 2 1
Welsh Black x 1 0
Total 4,313 736

Mr. Maclean

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if Dr. Narang has supplied his Ministry with the information his scientists had requested in order to validate his BSE testing method; and if he will make a statement. [44866]

Mr. Rooker

The Department is not awaiting any information from Dr. Narang. Research funded by the Medical Research Council is underway at Leeds University to investigate the feasibility of diagnosing pre clinical BSE using cattle urine. Dr. Narang is collaborating in this work.

Mr. Maclean

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and accuracy of the methods advocated by Dr. Narang for detecting BSE. [44894]

Mr. Rooker

Dr. Narang has advocated a method to detect pre clinical BSE in cattle using urine. Research is currently underway in Leeds University to investigate the feasibility of such a method. It is too early to comment on effectiveness or accuracy.

Mr. Maclean

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the urine test method of detecting BSE in cattle. [44890]

Mr. Rooker

It is too early for an assessment to be made. The research currently underway at Leeds University to investigate the feasibility of using cattle urine to diagnose pre clinical BSE is in its early stages. An independent advisory panel set up by the Medical Research Council is overseeing the work and will be meeting in early July to consider preliminary findings.

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