HC Deb 22 July 1996 vol 282 cc20-1W
Mr. Gordon Prentice

To ask the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has(a) commission and (b) evaluated to establish the route by which contaminated feed was fed to bovine animals after the 1988 ban. [35000]

Mrs. Browning

Results of the investigation of risk factors for cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy born after the introduction of the ruminant protein feed ban were published in the "Veterinary Record" on 1 April 1995—pages 312 to 318. A copy of the report can be found in the May 1995 progress report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Mr. Hardy

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take to locate those animals which are within a condemned cohort which were previously sold on from the farm where they were bred; and what assessment he had made as to whether those who purchase cattle are keeping records in the same way as those responsible for dairy herds. [38098]

Mrs. Browning

Animals in the same cohort as a BSE case will be traced using farmers' records for cattle, which legislation under the Animal Health Act 1981 obliges them to keep.

Mr. Hardy

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will revise the arrangements for the destruction of whole cohorts of cattle where one animal within that cohort is found infected with BSE; and what is his latest estimate of the number of cattle which will have to be destroyed under the proposed arrangement. [38107]

Mr. Baldry

The Government issued a consultation document on the accelerated slaughter scheme on 3 July. They are considering responses to this. The maximum number of cattle likely to be slaughtered under the arrangements set out in the consultation document is 120,000 and in practice is liable to be somewhat lower.

Mr. Hardy

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the effect upon the price of replacement cattle if the numbers of cattle to be destroyed under the BSE eradication arrangements are at the highest level of his estimates. [38097]

Mrs. Browning

The accelerated slaughter scheme is not expected to involve more than about 1 per cent. of the total UK cattle population—although it is likely to have a greater effect on dairy than beef herds. Details of the scheme, and therefore estimates of its likely effects, are yet to be finished.