§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if all the research into bovine spongiform encephalopathy is being concentrated under the consultative committee run by Dr. David Tyrrell; and if he will list where the £12 million for research over the next three years is to be spent;
(2) if it is the intention of the consultative committee under Dr. David Tyrrell to publish at least annual reports into their activities in the future.
§ Mr. GummerA research consultative committee of scientific experts chaired by Dr. Tyrrell was asked by my predecessor and the Secretary of State for Health to advise on the research work in progress, and additional work required into the disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and to set out priorities for further work. I announced the Government's response on 9 January.
My Department has committed £6.1 million over the next three years to spongiform encephalopathy research at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, at the Institute for Animal Health, AFRC/MRC Neuropathogenesis Unit, Edinburgh; and at the Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms. In the same period, the Department of Education and Science has provided for expenditure of £6.3 million on similar research through the Agriculture and Food Research Council at the neuropathogenesis unit and other research establishments.
The Secretary of State for Health and I have decided to reconstitute the research consultative committee as the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee. Dr. Tyrrell has agreed to continue as chairman. The other members are Professor F. Brown, former deputy director (scientific) of the Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, Dr. R. J. Will, consultant neurologist at the Western general hospital, Edinburgh, Dr. R. H. Kimberlin, an independent consultant, and Dr. W. A. Watson, former director of the Central Veterinary Laboratory. Mr. R. Bradley of the Central Veterinary Laboratory will act as an observer and observers from the Medical Research Council and the Agriculture and Food Research Council will participate as necessary.
The new committee will be asked to advise my Department and the Department of Health on matters related to spongiform encephalopathies. Its work and reporting will therefore be on an ad hoc basis.
§ Mr. John EvansTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the estimate of the Southwood committee of the level of reporting of bovine spongiform encephalopathy; what is the current level of reporting; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanThe Southwood working party did not predict the level of reporting of suspect BSE cases. At present, around 380 new suspected cases of BSE are being subjected to restrictions each week.
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§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what significance he attaches to the rising incidence of confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases; when he expects the number of confirmed cases to stop rising; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanAll available evidence on BSE point to a common source epidemic, through feed infected with scrapie, which has been cut off since July 1988. Although the number of suspect cases being notified is continuing to rise at present it is still expected that, provided cattle to cattle transmission does not occur, the incidence of disease will fall after 1993 as the proportion of animals which will have been fed ruminant protein diminishes.