§ Liz BlackmanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make available the latest progress report prepared by his Department on bovine spongiform encephalopathy. [75017]
§ Mr. Nick BrownA further Progress 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 June 1998, including legislation on the slaughter of sheep and goats suspected of having transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, notifications to the British Cattle Movement Service, cattle identification and the compulsory cull of offspring of BSE cases supporting the Date-based Export Scheme for UK beef. It summarises the results of action to enforce existing public health measures, and reports the launch of the Cattle Tracing System. An update on the number of cases of nvCJD is included.
There is also a section on the protection of animal health covering controls on animal feed.
796WThe 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 for 1998 was 23.5 per cent. less than for 1997 and 60 per cent. less than for 1996. A continued improvement is expected for the future. The section shows that 63 per cent. of UK herds with adult breeding cattle have never had a case of BSE. Furthermore 84 per cent. of beef suckler herds have never had a case of BSE. Reported incidence also shows that herds with more than four cases of BSE account for almost three quarters of all BSE cases, but represent less than one eighth of all herds.
The section on the European perspective reports the EU Commission's agreement to the Date-based Export Scheme for lifting the EU export ban for UK beef from cattle born after 1 August 1996. It also covers the resumption of beef exports from Northern Ireland, permitted for meat from export certified herds.