§ Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend, in conjunction with the devolved authorities, to eradicate scrapie from the United Kingdom. [HL1657]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman)In its report on research and surveillance on TSEs and sheep published in April 1999, the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) recommended that a programme for the long-term control and eradication of scrapie should be drawn up in consultation with the Scrapie Information Group—a joint initiative of industry, veterinary and government experts who have a day-to-day involvement in the surveillance and control of scrapie. This group, which includes representatives of the devolved administrations, has held a number of deliberations on this subject and has scheduled further discussions during 2000. The development of long-term control and eradication strategies will be an ongoing process that will require close communication with the group and the devolved administrations.
In the meantime, although scrapie has been present in the national flock for over 250 years without a confirmed link with human illness, we have a range of precautionary health controls in place introduced after advice from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC). These comprise the 79WA destruction of specified risk materials (whole heads, excluding the tongue, and spleen from all sheep and goats and spinal cord and tonsils of older sheep) and compulsory slaughter, with compensation, of any sheep or goats suspected of having a scrapie-like illness that cannot be ruled out as something else.
§ Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action they intend to take as a result of the studies on the heat resistance of hamster-adapted scrapie agent report in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 10. 1073/pnas.050566797, Paul Brown et al. [HL1658]
§ Baroness HaymanThe Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) monitors all relevant scientific publications. Members will evaluate the findings reported in this publication at their next meeting and recommend action if they feel it is necessary. It may be, however, that further details will be required from the author before a definitive conclusion can be reached.