§ Mr. McCuskerTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland where the 10 confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy were found in Northern Ireland; and what has been done to prevent further outbreaks and to uncover the causes of this disease in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. ViggersThere have now been 13 confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in various parts of the Province. It would not be appropriate to identify individual producers because of the need to566W respect confidentiality as a normal part of the Department of Agriculture's eradication and control policy for any animal disease outbreaks.
The BSE outbreaks have been fully investigated and there is nothing to suggest that the cause is any different from that in Great Britain cases.
In order to minimise the risk of outbreaks of this disease increasing, the Southwood committee's recommendations have been implemented in full.