Written question asked by David Lidington (Conservative) on Thursday, 4 July 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 16 July 2002. It was answered by Baroness Beckett (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 July 2002 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the incidence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in the national sheep flocks of (a) EU member states and (b) non-EU countries which process and export natural sausage casings. - Inc figures (holding answer 9 July 2002).

Answer: Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the incidence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in the national sheep flocks of (a) EU member states and (b) non-EU countries which process and export natural sausage casings. [68499] Margaret Beckett: [holding answer 9 July 2002]: I have been asked to reply. Information on the number of scrapie cases in member states is available on the European Commission's website at www.europa.eu.int. Between 1998 and 2000, the following numbers of cases have been reported: Belgium 19 cases; Denmark nil; Germany three cases; Greece 130 cases; Spain five cases; France 97 cases (1998-99 only); Ireland 198 cases; Italy 208 cases (1998-99 only); Luxembourg nil; Netherlands 32 cases (1998-99 only); Austria five cases; Portugal nil; Finland nil; Sweden nil; UK 1,652 cases. Information on scrapie cases in non-EU countries is available on the website of the Office Internationale des Epizooties at www.oie.int. The main exporters of sheep casings are Pakistan, Turkey and New Zealand. According to OIE data, Pakistan, which has a scrapie surveillance programme, has not reported any occurrence of the disease. The last reported occurrence of scrapie in New Zealand was in 1954. No information is available in relation to Turkey.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 68499; 389 c204W
Session: 2001-02
Subjects: Contamination EU countries Meat products Sheep Foreign trade Transmissible encephalopathies Scrapie Sausages
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk