§ Baroness Byfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
When testing facilities at the government laboratory in Weymouth will be improved to match those used in Holland and France, which no longer rely on the most probable number system for sampling shellfish waters. [HL4102]
§ Lord WhittyThe Weymouth laboratory of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) is designated under the Shellfish Hygiene Directive (91/492/EEC) as the community reference laboratory for monitoring bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs and as the national reference laboratory for the United Kingdom.
In this capacity, the laboratory advises on use of the most probable number (MPN) procedure, but does not undertake routine testing of shellfish samples for the purpose of the classification of shellfish harvesting areas in the UK. In England and Wales this is undertaken by local laboratories of the Health Protection Agency and hospital trusts, in Scotland by FRS Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen, and in Northern Ireland by the Public Health Laboratory at Belfast City Hospital.
The Shellfish Hygiene Directive specifies the use of a five-tube three-dilution MPN procedure for the
88WA
The number of Active and Passive Surveillance cases of BSE confirmed in Great Britain during each week of 2002 and in the current year to 18 July and the moving annual totals of "confirmed" and "reported" cases for each 52-week period. 2002 Week No Passive Surveillance Active Surveillance Reported1 Number confirmed each week Running 52 week total Number confirmed each week Running 52 week total Running 52 week total 1 0 751 0 261 1207 2 19 734 0 259 1209 3 22 742 0 259 1208 4 12 742 51 310 1200 5 2 733 21 331 1201 6 25 747 29 359 1183 7 15 731 30 385 1182 8 9 728 7 390 1179 9 16 732 15 403 1171 10 10 732 4 406 1157 11 14 740 31 436 1147 12 19 746 0 435 1149 13 12 753 34 469 1142 14 0 734 0 467 1148 15 26 750 13 477 1150 16 1 747 30 505 1151 17 20 754 0 505 1157 18 16 751 13 518 1164 19 7 745 8 523 1157 20 15 745 1 523 1156 21 7 736 12 535 1153 22 16 737 9 544 1149 23 0 728 1 545 1130 24 17 731 22 565 1135 25 8 724 5 570 1134 26 5 716 16 586 1136 27 0 699 0 586 1136 testing of shellfish samples for classification of production areas. In France, official laboratories use both a five-tube three-dilution MPN procedure and an alternative semi-automated procedure. The latter is calibrated and validated against the MPN test. The method currently in use in Holland does not appear to conform to the requirements of the directive.
Shellfish waters are also sampled under the Shellfish Waters Directive (79/923/EEC) and the associated UK regulations. In England and Wales, this is the responsibility of the Environment Agency, in Scotland of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and in Northern Ireland of the Department of the Environment. CEFAS does not undertake any responsibilities or practical work in relation to the testing of samples taken for this purpose.