§ Sir Anthony Kershawasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many human beings have died in the last five years from tuberculosis due to infected milk; what was the cause of the infection of the milk; and what steps he is taking to eliminate tuberculosis from milk.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergStatistics on deaths from tuberculosis do not distinguish between infection of human, bovine and other types. Reports from the Public Health Laboratory Service and elsewhere suggest that the incidence of bovine tuberculosis is low. Most cases in which the bovine type of infection has been identified are thought to be due to a breakdown of infection acquired in the past.
Because of the universal tuberculin-testing of herds in this country, with the additional safeguard that a very high proportion of all milk is pasteurised before sale, the 406W current risk of contracting bovine tuberculosis through consuming milk is extremely small. Measures to ensure that milk cattle do not carry tuberculosis are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.