§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to establish whether the BSE infective agent present in pig and poultry feed is subsequently present in pig and poultry excretions; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Curry[holding answer 19 October 1990]: Research into scrapie has found no evidence that the agent is present 137W in the faeces of infected animals. Studies are planned which will determine the infectivity of the gut both from confirmed cases of BSE and from animals experimentally exposed to the disease.
Nevertheless the Government have already taken steps to ensure that BSE-infected material does not enter the food chain. These include the compulsory slaughter and destruction of all animals suspected of having the disease and a ban on the use in human and animal food of those bovine offals most likely to harbour the BSE agent.