If he will make a statement on his Department's risk reduction strategy for BSE and scrapie. Since becoming Minister, I have pursued research into improved disease control measures, which enabled the development of the current proposals for the national scrapie eradication and control plan. I have also, on a precautionary basis, put in hand preparation of a contingency plan setting out actions that might be taken in different scenarios if, in future, BSE is found to be present in sheep. As the House is aware, food safety is of course a matter for the Food Standards Agency. Unfortunately, that fact appears to have been forgotten by Ministers in the previous Tory Government.
Friend is absolutely right.
When scientific advice that will inform the Government's policy decisions becomes available to me, I put it in the public domain as a matter of policy so that everyone can see what that advice is and draw their own conclusions. I do that to inform debate. I have sent Lord Phillips' report to my French counterpart, Jean Glavany. I hope that the thorough examination that Lord Phillips undertook will help other European Union member states and others world wide better to understand this appalling condition in animals, which has implications for human health, and ways in which to get it under control and eliminate it. I thank my right hon.