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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Answer

Mr. Michael J. Foster: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 15 June 1998, Official Report, columns 20-26, if he will list the potential (a) animal and (b) human health risks in circumstances where hunt kennels fail to achieve a satisfactory SRM audit. [46573] Mr. Rooker: Government measures to combat BSE have greatly reduced the number of cases of preclinical BSE in bovines, and there are relatively few now found in the field. Any animals suspected of suffering from BSE are destroyed in designated incinerators and not taken to hunt kennels. The main throughput of hunt kennels is therefore casualty animals and dead stock from which specified risk material has to be removed and disposed of in accordance with the Specified Risk Material Regulations 1997. Meat from such carcases is not eligible for the human food chain. The potential human health risks arise from the possible illegal diversion of material into the human food chain. For animal health, the potential risks arise from the possible diversion of SRM into animal by products, and the direct feeding of SRM to hounds, even though no case of a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) developing in dogs has ever been recorded. In all cases, the controls applied on the handling and disposal of SRM in hunt kennels are intended to prevent such risks arising, reinforced by the compliance audit carried out by the State Veterinary Service, the results of which are reported monthly in the BSE Enforcement Bulletin. In all cases where unsatisfactory audit visits have been reported and investigated, unannounced follow up visits have also been carried out to ensure that any necessary remedial action has been taken.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

316 c303-4W; 46573

Session

1997-98

Registered interest declared

Yes

Subjects

Animal housing Animal feed Dogs Foxes BSE State Veterinary Service