HC Deb 26 April 1994 vol 242 cc91-2W
Mr. Morley

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to make feline spongiform encephalopathy a notifiable disease; and how many cases she is aware of in each of the last five years.

Mr. Soames

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy in bovines, and scrapie in sheep and goats, are already compulsorily notifiable. We have consulted interested organisations on proposals that would mean that when a naturally occurring spongiform encephalopathy is suspected in any animal following laboratory examination of material, that suspicion should be notified to the Ministry. Legislation is being prepared on this.

The number of cases of feline spongiform encephalopathy to date by year of onset of clinical signs is as follows:

Year of Onset Number of cases
1989 1
1990 16
1991 9
1992 14
1993 8

Cases were not necessarily confirmed in the same year that clinical signs were first observed. The first case of FSE was confirmed in May 1990.

Mr. Cohen

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reports she has received about spongiform encephalopathy in canines and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Soames

The Ministry has received no reports of confirmed cases of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in canines.

Mr. Thurnham

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement about bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Mr. Soames

A further report on BSE in Great Britain is available today. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. The report details the continuing epidemiological evidence that the ruminant feed ban is effective in controlling the epidemic in the way which has been predicted. The number of reported cases up to 18 March 1994 is 19.9 per cent. below that of the same period in 1993–8,585 in 1994 compared with 10,718 in 1993—and 14.9 per cent. below 1992. The report also gives information about the wide-ranging research programme being undertaken by the Ministry, particularly relating to the transmission of the disease and tissue infectivity studies.