§ 10. Maria EagleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to implement the recommendations of the BSE inquiry report. [142346]
§ Mr. Nick BrownI intend to publish at the end of January the Government's interim response to the report. Lord Phillips' findings go to the heart of what is good governance, including properly informed policy-making; joined-up Government; best use of advisory committees and expert advice; timely decision-taking; a consistent and proportionate approach to risk management and precaution—especially when dealing with uncertainty; and effective implementation of policy decisions. The report's conclusions also emphasise the need for openness and better communication with the public about scientific knowledge and risk to inform consumer choice.
The interim response will focus on actions already taken on these key themes, as well as addressing how we will deal with the 160 plus detailed lessons that the report identifies. It will form the basis of consultations and discussions, enabling all those interested to contribute to the final response that the Government will make later next year.
In my statement on 26 October, I said that I and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health would commission an independent assessment of current scientific understanding, including emerging findings, of the origins of the BSE epidemic. We have now asked Professor Gabriel Horn to chair this review.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cattle, slaughtered as a consequence of the anti-BSE measures, are held in cold stores in the United Kingdom; and at what cost. [143316]
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§ Ms Quin[holding answer 20 December 2000]: No cattle slaughtered as a consequence of the anti-BSE measures are currently held in cold storage in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he is undertaking into alternatives to the incineration of cattle slaughtered as an anti-BSE measure. [143324]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 20 December 2000]: MAFF is funding two research projects which are looking into alternatives to the incineration of cattle slaughtered as a control measure for BSE. These projects are in their early stages and results are not yet available. The first project is looking at the effectiveness of high temperature, pressure and alkali in inactivating the TSE agent; the second is looking at the effect of high pressure steam. Both these projects are using pilot scale apparatus, but could be scaled up for industrial use.