HC Deb 23 May 1990 vol 173 cc213-4W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has sought concerning the incidence of spongiform encephalopathy in the United Kingdom among(a) feral mink and (b) farm-bred mink.

Mr. Maclean

Transmissible mink encephalopathy has not been recorded in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many post-mortem tests for BSE his Department has conducted on cattle born since 8 August 1988.

Mr. Maclean

Four cattle born since 8 August 1988 have been subject to post mortem histopathology for BSE. Of those, three were negative and one result is pending.

Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the infective agent responsible for bovine spongiform encephalopathy has been found in bovine muscle tissue.

Mr. Maclean

Research into the presence of the BSE agent in bovine tissues has not so far found any agent in bovine muscle tissue. Research into sheep scrapie indicates that the agent would not be found in muscle.