Volume 1: Findings and Conclusions
11. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

1109 Here there was indeed a significant physical border. Besides differing more markedly in terms of its legislation and administrative arrangements, Northern Ireland was separated from Great Britain by a wide sea crossing. It was reasonable that Ministers and officials there should have given careful thought to whether to follow the policy lead from London on making BSE a notifiable disease, and on the ruminant feed ban. They decided not to do so at first.

1110 We did not think the delay in formalising notification made any difference. However, we were concerned about the decision not to take immediate action on a feed ban. Recycled infective material might already have been in local MBM, and cattle eating it might already have become infected, thus prolonging any epidemic in Northern Ireland. We noted that the decision to delay the ban was taken only after outside consultation and analysis of various options. It was put to us that it was justified by the absence of BSE outside Great Britain and by the beliefs held at the time about the cause and distributing mechanism of the disease. Moreover, import controls were put in place for MBM and live cattle. We concluded that the decision was not unreasonable at the time, though with hindsight it would have been preferable not to delay. However, immediate precautionary introduction of a ruminant feed ban would probably have reduced the cases of BSE in the Province by only a small number. Northern Ireland was in any case far less affected by BSE that the rest of the UK.

1111 After the first case in Northern Ireland was confirmed in November 1988, the NI administration closely followed the UK line on all matters, despite a hankering for independent health status for its cattle, with a view to restoring beef exports. We think they were right to keep in step with the rest of the UK.

1112 We heard differing accounts of the usefulness of the NI cattle-tracking system in alleviating the effects of the BSE crisis in the Province. It does not appear to have been a significant factor during the period with which we were concerned, although it may have helped since in allowing the earlier resumption of exports than in the rest of the UK.