Our policy on strategic exports to mainland China is as set out by my late right honourable friend Derek Fatchett on 3 June 1998, Official Report, cols. The Department of Trade and Industry will be removing Macau as a destination for Open General Licences which allow the export of Military List goods. Transhipment of goods on the Military List to the MSAR via the United Kingdom without a licence will also be prohibited. Her Majesty's Government's policy on strategic exports to Hong Kong remains as announced by my late right honourable friend on 14 January 1998, Official Report, cols. Some vaccines use bovine material such as foetal calf serum and bovine albumin as nutrients to promote the growth of microbial organisms in culture media.
Some injectable medicines use bovine serum derivatives in the manufacturing process.
Subsequent purification is designed to remove all materials from such vaccines and injectable medicines that are associated with the manufacture but not required in the finished product. In 1989, the Southwood Committee considered the potential for the transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy between cattle and other species, including man, through the use of medicinal products and concluded that the risk was remote. Vaccines that use bovine material in the manufacturing process manufactured since March 1989 have used bovine material from non-UK sources. The MCA has established that the latest date that vaccines manufactured before the guidelines came into force could have been used was November 1993. The guidelines on sourcing and processing issued by the Committee on Safety of Medicines also applied to injectable medicines.