§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide 10 positive and 10 negative BSE urine samples to Mr. Harash Narang for research into BSE and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease. [32911]
§ Mrs. BrowningWe are in discussion with Dr. Narang on the supply of samples for validation of his urine test. One of the difficulties is establishing a baseline of BSE negative cattle for validating a test. This is not so easy as might appear at first sight and we are in discussions with Dr. Narang about arrangements for collecting urine from cattle in countries which have never had a case of BSE, so as to be absolutely certain that they are truly negative and that there can be no doubt about interpretation if any of the samples deemed to be negative test positive in his hands.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if grade 2 laboratories have the facilities to carry out cattle urine testing for BSE and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease research. [32912]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordI have been asked to reply.
Containment level 2 laboratories, as defined in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994, are suitable for work with material infected with or potentially infected with the agents of BSE and CJD, subject to certain specific additional precautions. In the case of OD, these are a requirement of the COSHH regulations. In the case of BSE, guidance from the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens advises that additional precautions be adopted where work is undertaken with material infected with or potentially infected with the BSE agent.