§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of those cattle tested for BSE are(a) fallen stock, (b) casualty animals and (c) over 30 months old; and what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the results in indicating the present level of BSE in the national herd. [16042]
§ Mr. MorleyOf the cattle tested in active surveillance this year up to 9 November the proportions are as follows:
Cattle tested for BSE Percentage Fallen Stock 40.1 Casualty Animals 58.2 Over 30 months old 98.6 The Government's testing programme is continuously adjusted on the basis of scientific advice and to comply with EU legislation. Its recent significant expansion will give us a more accurate picture of the level of BSE infectivity in the national herd.
§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the number of cattle tested for BSE in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; what plans her Department 437W has to increase the number of cattle tested annually for BSE; and what assessment she has made of the level of testing for BSE in (a) France and (b) Germany. [16041]
§ Mr. MorleyThe following table lists the number of cattle tested for BSE in each of last 10 years for which figures are available.
Passive surveillance Active surveillance 1991 29,237 — 1992 43,591 — 1993 41,642 — 1994 29,151 — 1995 17,382 — 1996 10,274 — 1997 5,346 — 1998 4,055 — 1999 2,853 3,951 2000 1,784 12,595 20011 1,090 54,253 1 As at 19 November The Government's active surveillance programme has recently been stepped up so that testing of over 350,000 cattle per year will be carried out. These include all fallen stock over 24 months of age, all casualty animals over 24 months of age, all casualty animals over 24 months of age, all cattle born between 1 August 1996 and 31 July 1997 which are slaughtered under the over-thirty-months scheme and a sample of 50,000 other animals over the age of 30 months.Passive surveillance will continue as before though numbers of cattle showing clinical signs suspicious of BSE are in decline.
The current level of testing in France and Germany, as in the UK, is determined by EU legislation. Unlike the UK, the EU member states are now required to test all cattle over 30 months of age intended for human consumption—only meat from those with negative results is allowed to enter the food chain. The Food Standards Agency considers, however, that the UK's over-thirty-month-rule provides stronger protection.