§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the light of the Tyrell committee's report, he will now introduce random testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy in all cattle slaughtered for human consumption.
§ Mr. MacleanNo. The Tyrell committee considered such testing to be of low priority.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any evidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy being caused other than by ingestion of scrapie-infected foodstuff.
§ Mr. MacleanThere is no evidence to suggest that BSE infection under field conditions has been caused by any means other than by the ingestion of feedstuffs containing a scrapie-like agent. However, research is in hand on the experimental transmission of BSE by inoculation and orally and to determine whether maternal transmission occurs.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has asked the Tyrell committee to continue its role of review and co-ordination of work into bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and if he will make a statement on the future of the committee.
§ Mr. MacleanThe establishment of a small group to provide advice on BSE and the other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies is currently being considered. We hope to make an announcement shortly.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has reviewed the regulations governing and procedures involved in the rendering of animal waste since the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and whether he proposes to modify either.
644W
Departments and agencies occupying accommodation at Brook lands avenue, Cambridge Department/Agency Staff in post at 1 January 1990 Space (square feet) Accommodation charge2 £ Property Services Agency1 365 80,517 657,018 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 302 91,643 747,803 Her Majesty's Inland Revenue 244 43,397 354,121 Ministry of Defence Land Agents 36 6,709 54,747 Her Majesty's Customs and Excise 32 6,735 54,958 The Crown Suppliers 15 3,139 25,612 English Heritage 13 1,871 15,266 Department of Transport 4 922 7,527 Department of Employment 4 2,489 20,307 Department of Energy 3 687 5,604 Ordnance Survey 3 1,061 8,660 Soil Science Survey 3 790 6,447 Department of Health 2 1,338 10,918 Rural Development Commission 2 1,883 15,362 Department of Social Security 1 3,611 29,468 Lord Chancellor's Department (storage only) — 1,076 8,783 TOTAL 1,029 247,868 2,022,601
§ Mr. MacleanFeeding ruminant-derived protein to ruminant animals has been prohibited since 18 July 1988. The time and temperature combinations necessary to inactivate the BSE agent with certainty have not yet been identified. It would therefore be inappropriate at this stage to consider modifying the existing regulations controlling rendering practices.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) on 29 November 1989,Official Report, column 307, if he will give the number of cases of cows having been certified as contracting bovine spongiform encephalopathy in 1989 up to the end of December.
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 22 January 1990]: In 1989, 6,853 cases of BSE were confirmed in Great Britain.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who receives compensation if a bovine spongiform encephalopathy infected animal is found in(a) a livestock market or (b) a slaughterhouse; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 22 January 1990]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 18 January Official Report, column 409.