§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he was first informed of the contents of the report to Directorate D of the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General of a veterinary mission to France relating to certain protective measures against BSE and scrapie, with particular reference to implementation of Commission Decisions 94/381/EC, 98/272/EC, 98/703/EC and 97/18/EC; and what action he has taken to protect British consumers since then. [144258]
§ Ms Stuart[holding answer 8 January 2001]: The Food Standards Agency has advised that the report was published in December 1999 and concerns a veterinary mission carried out in France in May/June 1999. The purpose of the mission was to examine compliance in France with certain EC measures relating to monitoring and eradication of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in cattle and sheep. These are all matters for which Agriculture Ministers are responsible.
The Food Standards Agency has been monitoring the incidence of BSE across Europe. Its latest advice is that no additional measures are currently needed in the United Kingdom to protect consumers from legal beef imports from France or other European countries.
§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates he(a) spoke by telephone to and (b) met (i) the French Minister of Health and (ii) the European Commissioner with responsibility for health and consumer protection, to discuss the contents of the report to Directorate D of the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General of a veterinary mission to France relating to certain protective measures against BSE and scrapie, with particular reference to implementation of Commission Decisions 94/381/EC, 98/272/EC, 98/703/EC and 97/18/EC. [144257]
§ Ms Stuart[holding answer 8 January 2001]: I have not held any discussions with members of the French Government or the European Commission on the report.