HC Deb 11 July 1990 vol 176 c270W
Mr. Livsey

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what research his Department is conducting into a possible link between BSE in cattle and maedi visna in sheep;

(2) whether any research of which he is aware has established any links between BSE in cattle and maedi visna in sheep.

Mr. Maclean

Maedi visna is a disease of sheep caused by a well characterised virus unrelated to the unconventional agents which cause BSE and the other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Research into a link between the two diseases would therefore not be appropriate.