My Lords, I do not have with me the particular quotation with which the noble Lord has enlivened the House. However, from all that has been said of the selective slaughter scheme it is clear that it has no public health implications. We in this country are dealing with a situation in which no possibly infected material does or can reach the consumers. Slaughtering animals early may have the advantage of allowing the European Union to relax its restrictions, but as far as I am aware the procedure has no other possible advantage. My Lords, I entirely agree with what my noble friend said at the beginning of his question.
British beef is safe and certainly as safe as beef from any other country in Europe.
However, whether or not to undertake the selective cull is a matter of fine judgment. My Lords, there is very little that we can do that we do not do already to make sure that beef coming into this country meets the proper health standards. My Lords, I entirely agree with the noble Lord's second point. All the predictions are that following that course we will see the end of the disease for all practical purposes by about the year 2001. My Lords, in reply to my first supplementary question, the Minister said that there is no public health implication.