Mr. LiddingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Natural Sausage Casings Association was first consulted by the Food Standards Agency about its proposed ban on the use of sheep intestines in food. [68501]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 9 July 2002]The Food Standards Agency advise me that the Natural Sausage Casings Association (NSCA) was one of around 1,000 interested parties consulted on the report of the core stakeholder group on BSE and sheep, on 23 May this year. This report, which suggested that the Agency should recommend to the European Commission that intestine from all sheep be added to the current list of specified risk material, was made to the Agency's Board who considered it at their meeting on 13 June. The full detailed response of the NCSA and of their representatives, together with a summary of all the other responses to the consultation was made available to the Board.