§ Mrs. McGuireTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date the most recently born bovine animal with BSE was born; and if he will make a statement. [3508]
Dr. John CunninghamBSE has been confirmed in a Highland cow born in Wales on 17 January 1994. This animal was two years and 10 months old when clinical signs were first observed. This is the first case of BSE in an animal born in 1994 but is unlikely to be the last as the risk of exposure through feed was not significantly different in the early months of 1994 compared with the closing months of 1993 when cases have already been confirmed. The dam of this particular cow is still alive and shows no signs of BSE.
§ Mr. AncramTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what scientific advice he has received on preventing BSE infected beef being imported from Germany; and what steps he is taking to implement such advice. [2484]
§ Mr. RookerSEAC considered the issue of bovine imports into the UK, taking into account the Commission's assessment of surveillance and controls in other Member States, and advised Ministers on 2 June. I refer the right hon. Member to the Statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 5 June(Official Report, Columns 227–28).
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the comparative effectiveness of eliminating BSE in cattle of(a) the 30 month scheme and (b) the selective cull. [2800]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer given on 10 June 1997]: The Over Thirty Months Scheme (OTMS) is a measure to protect public health, not to eliminate BSE. On the other hand, the selective cull is aimed at reducing the number of cases of BSE by culling cattle which as young calves may have been exposed to the same feed as animals that have already succumbed to BSE. We estimate that the selective cull might prevent a maximum of 1,500 confirmed cases of BSE up to the end of 1999. The OTMS might prevent between one third and a half of that number, although the number of animals slaughtered under OTMS is many times greater than under the selective cull.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his assessment of the use of BSE-testing developments by Messrs Proteus. [2248]
§ Mr. RookerThe Department's involvement with Proteus has been confined to the assessment of a PrP antiserum for the diagnosis of BSE by immunohistochemistry in brain sections of cattle killed with clinical signs of BSE.
500WIn a joint study between the Veterinary Research Laboratories, Dublin and the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL), Weybridge, the performance of the Proteus PrP antiserum, designated 168, was compared with that of another PrP antiserum 971 raised at CVL. Each laboratory replicated the PrP immunostaining protocols used in both participating laboratories. Closely similar results were obtained in each laboratory with both antibodies performing similarly in the confirmation of clinical cases of BSE.
The studies did not include evaluation of the use of the 168 antibody for the diagnosis of BSE during the incubation period of the disease.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects SEAC to have completed its consideration and given its advice on the European Commission's march draft report on risk factors and surveillance procedures on BSE in the community. [2249]
§ Mr. RookerSEAC considered the European Commission's draft report and advised Ministers on 2 June. I would refer my hon. Friend to SEAC's statement which was placed in the Library of the House on 5 June.