§ Mr. Hendersonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the circumstances in which his Department issued a misleading press notice about shellfish during the evening of Friday 15 May; which individuals or organisations were informed or consulted before the notice was issued; why no elucidation of the notice was available in response to inquiries from the press on Friday night or from Members of Parliament, fisheries organisations and the public on Saturday morning; when and how the Department first recognised that an error had been made; what steps have been taken to rectify the error, mend the damage done to commercial interests and to improve procedures in future; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John MacKayMolluscan shellfish are collected regularly from a number of locations on the coast from 523W north east England to Montrose bay and tested by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food laboratory at Burnham-on-Crouch for the presence of paralytic shellfish poison (PSP). PSP is caused by a toxin which occurs naturally in dinoflagellates which in certain circumstances show vast increases in population called phytoplankton blooms. Dinoflagellates are consumed by filter feeding shellfish (cockles, mussels and oysters) and indirectly by whelks. PSP is not harmful to shellfish but causes paralysis when the affected shellfish are eaten by humans. The Scottish Home and Health Department were informed by the Department of Health and Social Security and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland on the afternoon of Friday 18 May that a very high level of toxin had been found in the latest batch of tested shellfish. In view of the risk to human health, district councils from Berwickshire to Angus were immediately informed by telephone, and a letter was issued to them and to the Scottish Food and Drugs Co-ordinating Committee that afternoon. A notice was also issued by the Scottish Information Office that shellfish collected from Berwick to the Montrose basin were not suitable for human consumption. On the evening of that day, the Scottish Information Office responded, after consultation with Scottish Home and Health Department medical staff, to press queries on the background to the notice. Inquiries to the Scottish Information Office on Saturday 19 May expressed doubt whether lobsters, prawns and crabs were covered by the terms of the notice. That afternoon the Scottish Information Office informed press and television outlets that the warning related to the collection of cockles, mussels and whelks and that the catching of crustacea (crabs, lobsters, prawns) was not included. It was also confirmed that periwinkles were not affected.
A statement has been issued to the district councils concerned and the media confirming this; and I have instructed the Scottish Home and Health Department to ensure that initial statements on any future recurrence of this kind are as detailed as the available information permits. I very much regret the difficulties caused by the lack of specification in the guidance which was issued.
The warning against collection for human consumption of cockles, mussels, and whelks, remains in force meantime. Suitable publicity will be given when the hazard has passed.