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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Answer

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has carried out an assessment of the risk due to BSE infectivity from disposal of cattle during the present outbreak of foot and mouth disease. [157585] Mr. Nick Brown: On 30 March, the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) considered the independent assessment from DNV Consulting of the public health risk due to BSE infectivity from burning cattle during the present foot and mouth disease outbreak. This assessment was placed in the Libraries of the House on 15 March. Taking account of comments from SEAC and the Environment Agency, this assessment has been revised to include the possible BSE risks from burying cattle carcases on farm and in landfill. Copies of this 1 April revision of the DNV risk assessment have been placed in the Libraries of the House, and are today being published on the MAFF Foot and Mouth Disease internet site. SEAC advised that the risk from burning (or burying) cattle born on or after August 1996 would be at least 400 times lower than the risk from burning (or burying) a similar number of cattle born before this date. In the light of SEAC's advice, the Environment Agency is advising that, depending on local hydrogeological and other factors and subject to site specific risk assessments, cattle born on or after 1 August 1996 may be buried.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

366 c282W; 157585

Session

2000-01

Related items

Deposited Paper DEP 01/591
Monday, 9 April 2001
Deposited papers
House of Commons

Subjects

Animals Cattle Health hazards Environmental health Disease control Foot and mouth disease Incinerators Waste disposal BSE Risk assessment

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk