§ Mr. John TownendTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about bovine spongiform encephalopathy. [10143]
§ Mr. Douglas HoggA further report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy was placed in the Library of the House today.
The report gives an update on new virus Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cases and explains the new measures taken on cattle identification and animal feed. Reference is made to the five point plan agreed in Florence for the resumption of exports and explains that all the preconditions, with the exception of the accelerated slaughter programme, have been complied with. It also details the sustained improvement in the handling of specified bovine material in slaughterhouses. The report also announces the occurrence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in a domestic cat born after the extension of the specified bovine ban in September 1990.
575WThe number of clinically suspect cases of BSE reported in Great Britain has continued to fall, and at 31 October 1996 was 36.1 per cent. less than at the same time in 1995, and 63.3 per cent. less than the same time in 1994. A continued improvement is expected for the future.