Written question asked by Lord Vinson (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Rooker (Labour) on Tuesday, 10 June 2008.

Agriculture: Sheep

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 20 May (WA 113), if the risk of transmission of BSE from sheep is near zero and scrapie is non-transmissible to humans, why it is necessary to bury sheep carcasses when any residual prions are more likely to be widely dispersed into the ground by live sheep when lambing.

Answer: Sheep carcases must be disposed of in accordance with the animal by-products regulations. These require either direct incineration or rendering followed by incineration or landfill. Lambing can be a source of environmental contamination, as infectivity has been detected in the foetal membranes. However, farmers are obliged under the animal by-products regulations to collect these membranes and dispose of them as category 2 animal by-products in order to reduce the risks presented by transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and other animal diseases. Burial is not a permitted disposal route for this material.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 3941; 702 c89WA
Session: 2007-08
Related items: Agriculture: Sheep
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects: Animal breeding Animal products Disease control Waste disposal Sheep BSE Transmissible encephalopathies Scrapie
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk