HC Deb 18 May 2000 vol 350 cc274-5W
Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Government's official scientific advisers are satisfied that the procedures routinely used in the production of gelatine in France are sufficient to destroy any trace of BSE infectivity in this product. [121416]

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 9 May 2000]: The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, the Government's independent scientific advisory body on BSE, has concluded that gelatine is safe for use in food given the large reduction in theoretical infectivity in the production of gelatine from raw material from which Specified Risk Materials (SRM) are excluded. In the case of France, there are controls on SRM removal both in relation to home production and to imports of raw materials for gelatine production.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has(a) consulted and (b) been consulted by the French Minister of Agriculture over the possibility of other ways of BSE transmission. [121414]

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 9 May 2000]: Extensive discussions took place between myself, the French Minister of Agriculture and the Commission at official and ministerial level about BSE-related issues. There has been a very full exchange of scientific opinion underpinning public decision making on this issue.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from which budget the unbudgeted expenditure on the BSE inquiry has been funded. [121424]

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 18 April 2000]: All costs of the BSE inquiry are met from within the existing budget of my Department and the budgets of the Department of Health, the Scottish Executive Rural and Agriculture Department, the National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department and the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in what instances he would seek a review of the BSE risk status of an EU member state. [121415]

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 9 May 2000]: The EU Scientific Steering Committee is nearing completion of its assessment of geographic BSE and risk in the EU and some third countries.