§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement about the objective of the trials currently taking place on bovine somatotropin in the United Kingdom; how my trials are taking place; in which counties they are taking place; what companies are sponsoring the trials; and what measures he is taking to ensure that milk from cows being treated with BST in the trials is not entering the food chain;
(2) whether the trials for bovine somatotropin in the United Kingdom will continue following the EU Agriculture Council's decision to continue the moratorium until 1999; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. BrowningNo trials are currently being undertaken on bovine somatotropin in cows in the UK. The decision of the Council of Agriculture Ministers to extend the moratorium on BST until 31 December 1999 also allowed limited practical tests to be carried out under certain conditions. Details of any such tests and how they might be conducted have yet to be worked out.