Volume 1: Findings and Conclusions
5. The animal health story
Cattle-tracking

488 There are two other topics which properly fall within the context of animal health. The first of these is cattle-tracking. Had MAFF had in place a computerised system under which the movements of cattle could be traced back to their place of birth, and their dams identified, this would have been of great benefit in satisfying European requirements that beef exported should have a BSE-free provenance. This we can see with hindsight. When BSE emerged, however, the immediate question was whether such a system needed to be put in place either to meet the demands of controlling BSE, or to meet the demands of disease control that might arise from the emergence of other new diseases.

489 That question was considered in 1990 by the Agriculture Committee of the House of Commons and answered in the affirmative. It was subsequently explored by MAFF officials in the context of a wider consideration of future information technology requirements. Officials concluded that neither the demands of BSE, nor those of disease control in relation to any foreseeable new disease, could justify the expense of introducing a computerised animal-tracking system. In vol. 5: Animal Health, 1989-96 we have reviewed that conclusion and decided that it is not one we would criticise. We make no comment, for it is not within our terms of reference, on MAFF officials' response to the wider demands and possibilities of information technology.