§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is his policy that all cows born in a given BSE-infected cohort within a given herd, regardless of the location of subsequent rearing, should be culled in any case where one or more cows in such a cohort are culled under the selective cull scheme. [3916]
§ Mr. RookerThe scientific basis of the cull is that animals which ate the same feed as BSE cases in the first six months of their lives are likely to be at risk of exposure to infection through that feed. Any such exposed animals which have been sold from the natal herd will be traced as far as possible. Those animals found alive will be restricted and slaughtered.
We intend also to include animals which were reared together in their first six months of life, irrespective of where they were born, provided we can be reasonably sure that it was there, rather than in the natal herd, that exposure to infection took place. We are currently seeking agreement from the European Commission that to do so would be in line with the relevant EC legislation.
§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department first contacted other member states of the EU advising them that BSE-contaminated feed should be removed from farms. [4282]
§ Mr. RookerThe measures which Member States should take in order to avoid the feeding of BSE contaminated feed were discussed with representatives of the Commission and the other Member Stases in the Standing Veterinary Committee of 18–19 July 1989.
§ Mr. PrenticeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the dates on which farmers were advised by their national authorities to dispose of BSE-contaminated feed, in respect of each member state in the EU which imported such feed from the UK. [4285]
§ Mr. RookerAdvice given by the authorities of the other Member States to their farmers is a matter of national competence and we do not have records of such advice.