HC Deb 06 March 1990 vol 168 cc603-4W
Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will initiate a programme of active surveillance of Britain's cattle stock involving veterinary surgeons making visits to farms, markets and slaughterhouses to identify cattle suffering from bovine spongiform encephalopathy or the early symptoms of the disease.

Mr. Maclean

There is already a programme of active surveillance carried out by veterinarians in the Ministry's state veterinary service, official veterinarians employed by local authorities and those in private practice.

Mr. Butler

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence he has as to the transmissibility of(a) bovine spongiform encephalopathy and (b) scrapie through the consumption of bone or bone meal from affected animals.

Mr. Maclean

Epidemiological evidence shows that the most likely cause of BSE was the feeding to cattle of compound rations containing meat and bone meal which included material derived from sheep infected with scrapie.

Bovine animals Sheep Goats Swine Poultry Horses, asses, mules and hinnies
1980
Number ('000) 370 393 1 298 10,928 11
Value (£'000) 52,437 11,700 18 16,713 9,989 48,996
1981
Number ('000) 321 172 1 606 15,385 9
Value (£'000) 55,884 6,035 58 34,147 13,312 66,091
1982
Number ('000) 287 146 1 619 13,296 9
Value (£'000) 48,810 5,276 113 41,164 12,002 71,563
1983
Number ('000) 240 93 1 571 11,274
Value (£'000) 30,599 3,374 51 35,777 11,105 106,368
1984
Number ('000) 234 101 1 346 9,110 9
Value (£'000) 29,158 3,163 46 22,377 10,225 125,891
1985
Number ('000) 173 84 1 234 9,617 9
Value (£'000) 24,171 2,427 115 17,430 12,358 205,330
1986
Number ('000) 213 195 1 134 9,040 9
Value (£'000) 29,591 6,832 52 12,554 11,789 238,976
1987
Number ('000) 387 373 1 61 10,235 10
Value (£'000) 57,826 13,890 241 8,618 14,046 231,041
1988
Number ('000) 267 509 1 59 12,788 7
Value (£'000) 44,438 24,741 66 8,949 15,301 154,146

Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide details of incidents where bulls at artificial insemination centres have been found to have contracted bovine spongiform encephalopathy, including the age of the bull, the breed and the artificial insemination centre.

Mr. Maclean

BSE has been confirmed in five Friesian bulls at AI centres. Their ages in months were 48, 55, 64, 67 and 71. It is not the practice to identify the premises where cases occur.

Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many progeny per year are normally expected from bulls at artificial insemination centres.

Mr. Maclean

A bull approved for use in artificial insemination might be expected to sire an average of 200 progeny, but it may be considerably more for an exceptional animal.