§ Mr. StevensTo ask the Minister of Africulture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to take any further steps to deal with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
§ Mr. MacGregorSir Richard Southwood's working party, in a second interim report, has made two recommendations on which I have decided to act straightaway. First, the report has indicated that it is not at present possible to be wholly sure that rendering as currently practised would eliminate the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent. I therefore propose to extend by one year, that is until 31 December 1989, the current prohibition on the use of certain animal protein in feed for ruminants. I would like to make it clear that the prohibition would have to continue there after unless processing methods which are sufficient to destroy the casual agent have been identified and are widely available.
Second, the working party has also advised that although in its view the transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy via milk is very unlikely, it would be prudent to ensure that milk from animals suspected of having bovine spongiform encephalopathy is destroyed. In fact, little or no milk is produced from such animals. As a precautionary measure, however, I shall be making an order prohibiting the sale or use of such milk for human or animal consumption except for the feeding of the cow's own calf.