§ Mrs. McGuireTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make available the latest report evaluated by his Department on bovine spongiform encephalopathy. [37057]
Dr. John CunninghamA further Report on BSE in Great Britain was placed in the Library of the House today.
The report outlines the measures which have been taken to protect public health since June 1997, including the Government's announcements on the White Paper on proposals for a new Food Standards Agency and the Public Inquiry into BSE and nvCJD. It also outlines the measures which have been taken to protect public health during the period under report, including legislation on Beef Bones and Specified Risk Materials. It summarises the results of action to enforce existing public health measures, and outlines the action which has been taken to set up a cattle tracing system. An update on the number of cases of nvCJD is included.
The Epidemiology section shows that the epidemic of BSE in the UK continues to decline. The number of clinically suspect cases of BSE reported in Great Britain has continued to fall and for the six months to 31 December 1997 was 36 per cent. less than for the same period in 1996 and 68 per cent. less than for the same period in 1995. A continued improvement is expected for the future. The section shows that almost two thirds of UK herds with adult breeding cattle have never had a case of BSE. Furthermore 84 per cent. of beef suckler herds have never had a case of BSE. Reported incidence also shows that herds with more than four cases of BSE account for nearly three quarters of all BSE cases, but represent only just over 10 per cent. of all herds.
There is a section on the protection of animal health covering the controls on animal feed and the selective cull.
The European perspective is reported in a section covering progress towards lifting the export ban, the European Parliament Temporary Committee of Inquiry and Commission proposals on Specified Risk Materials.
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