§ Mr. MarlandTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the figures for bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases for each of the eight weeks ended on 23 February; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe information for Great Britain is as follows:
Suspect cases notified Week ending Numbers 5 January 246 12 January 292 19 January 285 26 January 292 2 February 302 9 February 324 16 February 359 23 February 362 The figures which have recently been quoted in the press and which appeared to suggest a marked increase after the announcement of 13 February, Official Report, column 196, of increased compensation for confirmed cases referred not to the number of cases notified but simply to the number processed by my Department.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle involved currently or historically in clinical trials of bovine somatotropin.
§ Mr. MacleanThe Southwood report describes epidemiological studies that were undertaken to establish the origin of BSE infection. These investigated the possibility of links between the disease and any type of treatment administered to the cattle concerned, and found that there was none. In my reply of 22 February,Official Report, column 900, to the hon. Member I said that I was not aware of any case of BSE in an animal treated with BST, but I now understand that there is evidence of one such case. This does not alter the conclusion that no link exists.