Bse Contamination

EDM number 284 in 1989-90, proposed by Matthew Taylor on 11/01/1990.

That this House notes with grave concern the comments of Environmental Health Officers in Carrick District Council that the practices they had introduced to protect public health, namely the prevention of the sale of head meat from bovine animals where the brain had been removed from the cranium thus eliminating the possibility of the spread of BSE, have been criticised by the Minister of Agriculture; further notes the suggestions put forward by the Ministry 'that if any red meat did become smeared by brain tissue, it would be scientifically acceptable to remove such tissue by immediate washing' and that 'saws smeared by brain tissue could be visibly cleansed and sanitised in the normal way before re-use'; draws attention to comments of the professionals on the ground who 'expressed amazement at such irresponsible advice' maintaining 'there is a significant risk' of cross-contamination, and that their 'efforts to protect public health are being seriously undermined'; and calls upon the Government to put people first by backing the advice of the experts and investigating urgently whether alternative measures can be adopted after consultation with the Institution of Environmental Health Officers that fully ensure that no risk remains of contamination.

This motion has been signed by a total of 4 MPs.