Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Regulations 2006

My Lords, I declare an interest as the owner of a large number of what are regarded as TSE-susceptible animals and as a participant in the voluntary scrapie eradication programme. There seems to be a long history to this debate. Fortunately, the situation is not as fraught as it was when we debated the original 2002 regulations, when we were all very conscious of the dangers, not just from BSE but from foot and mouth disease, and the Government had an obligation to implement the European TSE directive in the absence of an updated animal health Bill. We can all be grateful that we are not faced with a similar situation just now. However, there seems to be a curious similarity between this measure and the former one; in spite of the extensive effort by the Government to include more than 13,000 organisations in the consultation exercise, only 13 responded. That is an interesting reflection of what happened last time. Either the whole thing is far too complicated for most people to get their head around or the Government have got everything absolutely right. There are still areas where we would be grateful for some elucidation. Noble Lords may remember that when the House was discussing the scrapie provisions in the Animal Health Bill, I moved an amendment seeking to restrict the compulsory slaughter of sheep in the scrapie eradication programme to those regarded as most susceptible of the five deemed categories. This was on account of evidence that among hill breeds, in particular the Scottish Blackface, only nine per cent qualified for the ““most resistant”” variety. The purpose of the amendment was to try to ensure that, as science progressed, we would still have the chance to review the next steps that the Government might propose, with the hope that, at the same time, we would begin to understand the particular attributes attached to the different groups and be able to ensure that, by breeding, the essential breed characteristics could be maintained. We now have a chance, after four years, to revisit this topic, but the approach taken in the order appears to be based upon exactly the same scientific basis. I have received information that a ram in a Welsh mountain breed, with the highest category of scrapie resistance, was proving very unsatisfactory in terms of his progeny’s survivability on the Welsh mountains. Tonight the noble Countess, Lady Mar, has suggested that various strains of scrapie do not obey the same rules as those adopted by the Government. Some of the animals classed as most susceptible may be those that can provide resistance. Perhaps there is a case here—though it would not be a subject for tonight—for the Government to retain a pool of genetic material from those that we are culling. I would be most interested to hear the Minister’s response on these issues. We should still congratulate the Government on the UK’s achievement of this massive reduction in the incidence of BSE. The dream that we will eliminate it is still there. The fact that two months ago they were able to end the Over Thirty Months Scheme in relation to slaughter—and I take it that the noble Baroness, Lady Howarth, was merely referring to the Over Thirty Months Scheme in relation to inspection, which is still in place—will mean huge savings and that we are operating the same controls as the rest of Europe. These controls ensure that, as far as possible, there is no risk to consumers. That essential fact must be maintained. At the same time, I hope the Government will continue to address the finer details of rules and regulations to see whether further savings in cost and red tape can be made. I recently received a communication from the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers, one of those bodies that replied to the Government’s consultation, and that paid particular attention to the EU TSE road map, which allows for future developments in our control and elimination of this disease. It raises the point that a possibility for alleviating cost lies in the fact that the present classification of specified risk material includes the whole intestine, whereas BSE has only been isolated in the distal ileum. It was found that if the SRM rules were directed only at this part of the intestine, it would save the European industry £77 million each year. Can the Minister tell the House how much research the Government are aware of as being carried out in this country? This is important if we wish to see the best progress within the EU road map?