HC Deb 31 January 1995 vol 253 cc645-7W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what experiments have been performed involving feeding calves with BSE infected milk; and what results have been obtained.

Mrs. Browning

None. Other experiments have revealed that bovine milk contains no detectable BSE infectivity.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the dates of birth of the last five confirmed BSE cases in Somerset.

Mrs. Browning

The information requested is as follows. The exact date of birth for four of the cases is unknown.

  • 1987
  • 7 September 1987
  • Spring 1988
  • April 1988
  • April 1989

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has available on the numbers and circumstances of confirmed BSE cases born after 18 July 1988.

Mrs. Browning

As at 23 January 1995, 15,771 cases of BSE had been confirmed in cattle born after 18 July 1988. Of these 8,955 were born in 1988, 5,995 in 1989, 812 in 1990 and nine in 1991. The great majority of the born after the ban cases have probably been exposed to ruminant protein in feed. The normal range of incubation period makes it inevitable that further cases will be confirmed in some animals exposed to infected feed and born in the months following the feed ban. Although it is still possible that BSE can occasionally be transmitted maternally or horizontally, there is no unequivocal evidence that either has actually occurred.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Southwood committee's report on BSE in 1989 took into account the numbers of confirmed BSE cattle from after the feeding ban of July 1988; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Browning

Paragraph 6.2 of the report of the working party on BSE dated February 1989, stated that the estimate of the numbers of future cases of BSE contained in the reportAssume that no new infections have arisen or will arise after 18 July 1988, when the ban on ruminant protein in feed became operative.

The great majority of the born after the ban cases have probably been exposed to ruminant protein in feed. The normal range of incubation period makes it inevitable that further cases will be confirmed in some animals exposed to infected feed and born in the months following the feed ban. Although it is still possible that BSE can occasionally be transmitted maternally or horizontally, there is no unequivocal evidence to indicate that either has actually occurred.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the number of BSE cases slaughtered and confirmed during 1994.

Mrs. Browning

The provisional figure for the number of suspect BSE cases slaughtered in 1994 is 28,257. The number of cases confirmed in 1994 was 25,578.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards rapid detection of cattle infected with BSE prior to their final encephalopathic clinical illness.

Mrs. Browning

Research is in progress to permit more accurate diagnosis of BSE in the clinically suspected live animal. Studies include detection by post mortem and laboratory test of changes in the concentration of metabolites in urine, proteins in cerebrospinal fluid and detection of PrP peripheral tissues. None is sufficiently advanced to be of immediate use.

Another study, based on work already published in the Veterinary Record by Austin and Simmons—27 March 1993, 132, 324–325—involves field trials where monitors are attached to cattle for detection of changes to heart and rumination rates. These studies are still in progress but will not result in instant diagnosis. It is expected that monitors would need to be attached to cattle for several hours if they are to be a valuable diagnostic indicator. They will only be of value for cases where clinical diagnosis is in doubt. It will not be feasible to use such equipment on all suspect cases.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) renderers, (b) feed compounders and (c) farmers have been prosecuted for contravening BSE regulations annually since 1988.

Mrs. Browning

There have been two prosecutions taken by the local authorities concerned under the Animal Health Act 1981 for contravening BSE regulations since 1988, one in 1991, the other in 1992.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the results of the vertical experiment, identified within the Southwood report at paragraph 8.1, will be published.

Mrs. Browning

The animal experimental part of the cohort study in maternal transmission in BSE is expected to be completed at the end of 1996. Results of the study are expected to be available by mid-1997.

Interim observations of this study were reported in Hansard on 12 December 1994, columns 523–24.