§ Lord Glenamaraasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the latest progress report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
§ Lord DonoughueA further report on BSE in Great Britain was placed in the Library of the House today.
The report outlines the measures which have been taken to protect public health since November 1996, including the Government's proposals for a new Food Standards Agency and the consultation on new proposals for legislation on specified materials from sheep and goats, specified bovine materials in imported beef, and scrapie. It summarises the results of action to enforce existing public health measures, and outlines the action which has been taken on cattle traceability. An update on the number of cases of nvCJD is included.
There is a section on the protection of animal health covering the controls on animal feed and the selective cull.
The European perspective is reported in a section covering progress towards lifting the export ban, the European Parliament Temporary Committee of Inquiry, Commission proposals on Specified Risk Materials and recent Commission reports.
The epidemiology section shows that the epidemic of BSE in the UK continues to decline. The number of clinically suspect cases of BSE reported in Great Britain has continued to fall and at 30 June 1997 was 56 per cent. less than at the same time in 1996 and 70 per cent. less than at the same time in 1995. A continued improvement is expected for the future.