Written question asked by Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 December 1996. It was answered by Tony Baldry (Conservative) on Tuesday, 10 December 1996 on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Question: If he will comment on progress with proposals for the future selective cull.

Answer: Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on progress with proposals for the future selective cull. [7914] Mr. Baldry: The Government announced on 19 September that they would not proceed for the present with the selective cull of cattle in relation to BSE. The decision was taken in the light of interim research findings, reported in July, in which a higher proportion of the offspring of BSE cases themselves developed BSE than a similar group of cattle which were not the offspring of BSE cases. Further analysis of that study is being undertaken. Also, the analysis published by Professor Roy Anderson and his team at Oxford university in August indicated that the epidemic will virtually die out around 2001 irrespective of any further measures, that the targeting in the original cull proposal could be improved, and that there might be other possible approaches. This does not mean that the Government have abandoned the selective cull. The cull options will be reconsidered after further consideration of the latest scientific developments, and in the light of progress with relaxing export restrictions in relation to herds which can be certified to have had no history of BSE.

Secondary information