§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions compensation has been refused in respect of confirmed BSE cattle since January 1989; under what circumstances such applications are refused; what advice he offers to farmers to avoid such refusal; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanThe Ministry is required by the Animal Health Act 1981 to pay compensation in respect of all cattle slaughtered as BSE suspects.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards being able to identify the presence of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy infective agent in cattle prior to the onset of clinical symptoms; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanI refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 21 May at column86.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 22 March,Official Report, column 734, to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond), what recent research is being undertaken to establish whether the infective agent responsible for bovine spongiform encephalopathy can be transmitted to (a) pigs, (b) poultry and (c) dogs; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanI refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 12 June at column135.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what contingency plans he has to cover the event of BSE being found to be vertically transmissible.
§ Mr. MacleanThere is no evidence to suggest that BSE is vertically transmissible. However, measures are in hand to require cattle owners to maintain herd breeding records, including the identity of each calf and its dam, and to retain these and the existing movement records for 10 years. These measures will assist the tracing of calves born 333W to dams in which BSE is subsequently confirmed, should further animal health measures be necessary to facilitate the elimination of the disease.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average cost to his Department of each case of BSE; and what is the breakdown of such cost into its components of compensation, carcase disposal, laboratory test and other.
§ Mr. MacleanThe average expenditure between August 1988 and April 1990 is estimated to be as follows:
Item Average cost £ Compensation 422 Carcass disposal and miscellaneous expenditure 216 Laboratory costs 166 Veterinary field service 251 Total 1,055