§ Mr. Boris JohnsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if goats are to be included with sheep with respect to BSE testing; and what her policy is on the destruction of the national goat herd if BSE is found to be present in sheep. [26898]
§ Mr. MorleyGoats are included in the testing programme for TSEs which we are putting in place to meet the requirements of EU legislation. If BSE were to be found in the sheep flock, the implications for goats would need to be determined in the light of circumstances at the time, taking into account in particular the views of the Food Standards Agency and the scientific advice offered by the EU' s Scientific Steering Committee and by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee.
§ Mr. Boris JohnsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reasons lie behind the recent changes to the regulations for the transportation of goats for mating. [26765]
§ Mr. MorleyThe movement of animals has been restricted as part of the measures to control the spread of foot and mouth disease. The most recent change to the animal movements licensing scheme affecting goats was introduced on 18 December 2001. From this date, goats were allowed to move freely between At Risk Counties provided an inspection by a Local Veterinary Inspector
784W
Number of Reactor Cattle Slaughtered for TB in UK 1995 1996 1997 1998 19991 20001 2001 1,2 England 2,211 2,393 2,730 4,120 4,945 5,987 3,558 Avon 153 211 69 159 138 262 122 Bedfordshire 1 3 3 — — 1 1 Berkshire 5 6 — 4 2 — 1 Buckinghamshire 2 3 — 7 7 8 4 Cambridgeshire 1 3 — — — 1 — Cheshire 36 21 9 43 7 5 — Cleveland — — 2 2 — — — Cornwall 623 462 292 789 840 1,106 633 Cumberia 5 8 21 10 7 4 2 Derbyshire 14 17 47 50 241 58 43 Devon 294 465 440 492 790 1,105 538 Dorset 54 43 103 91 99 78 58 Durham 8 — 1 — 2 — — East Sussex 17 9 31 14 18 23 6 Essex 2 1 13 5 — — — Gloucestershire 378 275 490 796 848 1,046 570 Greater London — — — 1 — — — Greater Manchester 3 1 1 9 1 — — Hampshire — 2 1 1 1 4 2 Hereford and Worcestershire 306 462 556 769 795 957 618 Hertford 5 — — 13 — 1 — Humberside 2 — 6 1 1 5 4 Isle of Wight — — — — 1 — — proved satisfactory. As of 15 January 2002, there are no At Risk Counties in Great Britain. There have been no recent changes to the rules regarding the movement of billy goats for breeding purposes.