Food Poisoning (Hansard, 18 June 1997)

§ Mr. Swinney
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from institutions conducting research on E. colirelating to lack of funding.[3614]

Mr. Galbrith
[holding answer 17 June 1997]: We have received no such representations.

§ Mr. Swinney
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has budgeted for research into food-poisoning in 1997–98, broken down to show the funds dedicated to(a) E. coli, (b) campylobacter and (c) salmonella. [3616]
187W

§ Mr. Galbraith
[holding answer 17 June 1997]: The information requested is set out in the following tables. The majority of research in this area is funded by the Departments of my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

E. coli £ Campylobacter £ Salmonella £

The Scottish Office Department of health

80,468 — —

The Scottish Office, Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department

634,221 106,657 395,511

The Scottish Office Education and Industry Deparbnent
The Aberdeen Protein Analysis facility has been awarded £495,000 (£418,000 in 1997–98) for new medical research that will include work on E. coli 0157.

§ Mr. Swinney
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the research grant applications which have been submitted to the Scottish Office for funding into the causes of E.coli, indicating which of these have been(a) accepted and (b) rejected within the last six months; what was the date when each was accepted or rejected; and if he will make a statement on the financial costs relating to each application. [3608]

§ Mr. Galbraith
[holding answer 17 June 1997]: Eleven applications have been submitted to the Scottish Office since December 1996 of which eight were successful and one was unsuccessful. A further two applications are still under consideration. The applications are listed in the following table.

The Scottish Office Department of Health

(£000s)

Time of application Decision Date of decision Amount

Epidemiology and Accepted 18 April 1997 30

Laboratory Studies of

Escherichia Coli 0157

Fine Structure Analysis — 18 April 1997 126

of VTEC in Scotland¹

¹This project was neither accepted nor rejected, but deemed to be more appropriate to Research Council funding.

The Scottish Office, Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department

Title of application Decision Date of decision Amount

Prevalence of E. coli 0157: Accepted 14 March 1997 9

H7 in Scottish Livestock (Part I)

Prevalence of E. coli 0157: Accepted Not yet commissioned 382

H7 in Scottish Livestock (Part II)

Molecular typing of the WL subclone of E. coli 0157: H7 Accepted 2 April 1997 21

Molecular typing of the WL subclone of E. coli 0157: H7 Accepted 2 April 1997 21

188W

The Scottish Office, Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department

Title of application Decision Date of decision Amount

Characterisation of commensal and pathogenic E. coli populations in cattle Accepted 30 April 1997 180

Improved techniques for the rapid detection of Escherichia coli 0157 in foods Accepted 30 April 1997 300

Intestinal microbial community structure in VTEC and non-VTEC carrying cattle Accepted Not yet commissioned 45

Proposal to investigate the virulence of Escherichia coli 0157 Rejected 17 March 1997 125

Laboratory studies with verocytotoxigenic E. coli, particularly serogroup 0157 Under consideration — approximately 85

Consumer perception of risk in relation to food safety Under consideration — approximately 200

§ Mr. Swinney
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on research into food-poisoning in each of the last five years, broken down to show the funds dedicated to(a) E. coli, (b) campylobacter and (c) salmonella. [3615]

§ Mr. Galbraith
[holding answer 17 June 1997]: The information is set out in the following tables. The majority of research in this area is funded by the Departments of my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

(£000's)

E. coli Campylobacter Salmonella

The Scottish Office Department of Health

1992–93 39 4 —

1993–94 25 — —

1994–95 5 21 —

1995–96 58 33 —

1996–97 14 11 —

The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department

1992–93 48 — —

1993–94 48 — —

1994–95 50 — 32

1995–96 70 — 251

1996–97 183 102 420

E. coli £	Campylobacter £	Salmonella £
The Scottish Office Department of health
80,468	—	—
The Scottish Office, Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department
634,221	106,657	395,511

The Scottish Office Department of Health
(£000s)
Time of application	Decision	Date of decision	Amount
Epidemiology and	Accepted	18 April 1997	30
Laboratory Studies of
Escherichia Coli 0157
Fine Structure Analysis	—	18 April 1997	126
of VTEC in Scotland¹
¹This project was neither accepted nor rejected, but deemed to be more appropriate to Research Council funding.

The Scottish Office, Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department
Title of application	Decision	Date of decision	Amount
Prevalence of E. coli 0157:	Accepted	14 March 1997	9
H7 in Scottish Livestock (Part I)
Prevalence of E. coli 0157:	Accepted	Not yet commissioned	382
H7 in Scottish Livestock (Part II)
Molecular typing of the WL subclone of E. coli 0157: H7	Accepted	2 April 1997	21
Molecular typing of the WL subclone of E. coli 0157: H7	Accepted	2 April 1997	21

(£000's)
	E. coli	Campylobacter	Salmonella
The Scottish Office Department of Health
1992–93	39	4	—
1993–94	25	—	—
1994–95	5	21	—
1995–96	58	33	—
1996–97	14	11	—
The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department
1992–93	48	—	—
1993–94	48	—	—
1994–95	50	—	32
1995–96	70	—	251
1996–97	183	102	420