Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Regulations 2006

Yes, my Lords, we do. I shall continue with the questions. On compensation for pedigree cattle, I shall go back over the record and include the answer in my letter, as I shall with the detailed and proper questions that the noble Baroness asked about specific parts of the regulations. Why is there no compensation for a ““no”” test? I am advised that a ““no”” test is normally caused by poor sampling or poor processes and, as such, it is felt that taxpayers should not be liable for compensation for abattoirs’ poor sampling. The noble Lord, Lord Hylton, raised some interesting points, not all of which I shall deal with tonight. On small abattoirs, at Defra we have limited funding for RDS grants and there is a large call on that funding, as the House would expect. The chairman of the Food Standards Agency has announced that she would like to see a review of abattoirs in sensitive areas. However, it is most important to ensure that all abattoirs meet controls that are put in place to protect public health. The call for the protection of small abattoirs has been noted. The noble Lord, Lord Hylton, also mentioned bovine TB. Everyone would agree that that represents a severe problem for all of us. I reminded him that the consultation on badger culling ends later this week, on Friday, so I am unable to comment at this stage. All responses will be considered in due course, and I hope noble Lords with an interest in this have written in. I do not want to say any more about bovine TB tonight. On avian flu, precautionary measures are in place and we consider them appropriate and sufficient for the time being. Exercise Hawthorn, to test the organisation, structures and systems in place in the event of an outbreak of AI, is planned for next month. We do not yet require birds to be housed and we shall continue to allow fairs, markets and racing to take place under licence. We believe that our refusal to panic is the right approach to this matter, but it means that we have to be ready if and when avian flu comes to this country. I believe we are ready. The noble Duke, the Duke of Montrose, mentioned research into specified risk material—SRM—in relation to testing. We are encouraged that the TSE road maps are based on science and are proportional. He asked about retaining a pool of genotypes. With industry, we have set up an archive of semen from rams of susceptible genotype under the national scrapie plan. That will make possible the establishment of viable breeding populations in sheep in future if that proves necessary. I hope that I have answered most of the questions, although I have not dealt with atypical scrapie. In general terms, we take account of advice from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee and EU scientific communities. What is the European Commission doing about atypical scrapie cases? In its TSE road map, which sets out future proposals for the control of TSEs in Europe, it acknowledged that the current control measures might not be appropriate in atypical scrapie cases and planned to review the policies during 2006. I say to the noble Countess, Lady Mar, that, to date, we do not believe that there is any evidence to indicate that atypical scrapie is, in fact, BSE. We consider that there is an urgent need, however, to gain a better understanding of the true significance of atypical scrapie, which must be based on sound scientific evidence. I have spoken for so long that the Deputy Chief Whip has come into the Chamber. I must wind up my speech. I have described the regulations as best I can. Let me mention the vote that will be held in all likelihood tomorrow morning in the EU’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health on lifting the UK’s export ban. Obviously, it would send the wrong message were we to annul the regulations tonight, thereby leaving us with no ability to administer and enforce the EU rules on BSE and scrapie, but the noble Countess, Lady Mar, has been good enough to tell the House that that is not her intention. I am sure that I speak for the whole House when I say that everyone hopes very much that the EU will vote to lift the export ban tomorrow, so that British beef will again be able to find its rightful place in Europe.