HC Deb 20 December 1990 vol 183 cc295-6W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the research establishments and projects respectively which have been granted moneys from his Department for research into BSE; and if he will list the amounts involved.

Mr. Maclean

The following BSE research projects are being funded by my Department in 1990–91.

BSE projects being funded by MAFF in 1990–91
Estimated costs (£ million)
MAFF: Central Veterinary Laboratory
1. Epidemiology of BSE 0.5
2. Clinicopathology of BSE 0.4
3. Transmissibility studies 0.1
4. Molecular biology 0.2
5. Molecular genetic studies 0.2
6. Dam/offspring studies 0.6
7. Embryo transfer studies
Sub-total 2.0
ADAS (RDS)
8. Dam/offspring studies 0.4
9. Embryo transfer studies 0.1
Sub-total 0.5
AFRC Institute of Animal Health (Compton and Neuropathogensis Unit)
10. Identification of BSE infection in cattle tissue 0.04

Estimated costs (£ million)
11. Transmission of BSE and scrapie into sheep and goats 0.02
12. Strain typing of BSE in mice 0.09
13. Susceptibility of BSE and scrapie isolates to lab. facsimiles of rendering practices 0.01
14. Susceptibility of the BSE agent to chemical and physical inactivation procedures 0.04
15. Cloning and characterisation of the bovine Prp gene 0.10
16. Analysis of BSE associated fibril 0.10
17. Diagnosis of BSE by detection of abnormal deposits of Prp (prion protein) 0.10
Sub-total 0.5
Royal Veterinary College
18. Infectivity of various tissues from animals with BSE 0.03
University of Reading
19. Evidence for the inheritance of susceptibility to BSE 0.02
University of Bristol
20. Experimental transmission of feline spongiform encephalopathy to mice 0.03
Sub-total 0.08
Grand Total 3.08

Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much money has been allocated to BSE research in each financial year.

Mr. Maclean

My Department has allocated the following funds for BSE research:

£ million
Outturn expenditure:
1987–88 0.2
1988–89 0.3
1989–90 1.0
Forecast expenditure:
1990–91 3.1
1991–92 4.9
1992–93 4.3

This is in addition to the substantial funds that have been made available by the Department of Education and Science for slow virus research and the high priority research that has been set in hand by the Department of Health.