Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Hansard, 1 February 1990)

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department has carried out into the connection between bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt Jakob disease; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Maclean
I refer to the reply given on 31 January to the hon. Member by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has initiated any prosecutions in respect of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy infected cattle identified at markets and slaughterhouses; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Maclean
Prosecutions will be taken where there is evidence of deliberate attempts to evade the legal requirement to notify the Ministry of suspected cases of BSE. So far no such cases have arisen.

§ Mr. Ron Davies
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has recently introduced a greater level of inspection of bovines at markets and slaughterhouses to detect bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Maclean
In November 1989, official veterinarians began random ante mortem inspections of cattle submitted for slaughter at non-EC approved abattoirs. Ministry vets carry out regular monitoring at markets.