Volume 3: The Early Years, 1986-88
6. Notification of the ruminant feed ban to other countries
OIE General Session, May 1989

6.37 On 29 March 1989 Mr Meldrum wrote to the Director-General of the OIE, Dr L Blajan, informing him of the composition of the UK delegation at the 57th General Session of the International Committee of the OIE. He recalled that, at that OIE meeting, he provided member countries with 'an update on BSE, including providing information on the control measures such as the ruminant feed ban that had been implemented by MAFF'. ¹

6.38 The final report of the OIE's 57th General Session held on 22-26 May includes the following in a section entitled 'Europe':

165. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy was reported in four cattle in Ireland where energetic measures have been taken to control the disease. Complete batches of semen have been destroyed to prevent any risk of the infection being passed on. It is now a notifiable disease. Great Britain reported that bovine spongiform encephalopathy is now a notifiable disease in the United Kingdom, where its incidence is increasing (an average of 140 cases are reported each week). The feeding of ruminant-based animal feed to ruminant animals has been temporarily halted. Research is in progress to determine exactly how the disease is transmitted. ²

6.39 On 2 June 1989 the Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Thompson, sent a minute to the Minister, Mr MacGregor, copied to Mr Meldrum, Mr Cruickshank and others. Under the heading 'Export of Animal Protein' Mr Thompson noted:

The problem of BSE and its relationship to feed has been discussed on numerous occasions in various committees in Europe. In the Community, no country has thought it necessary to bring this issue to the attention of the Council of Ministers. On an international basis we have been, and will continue to be, completely open with exporters of livestock and users of animal protein. For example, there will be a meeting in the last week of June in Washington on this subject. Moreover, the [OIE], which is the fulcrum Committee for animal disease, received verbatim reports last month, as well as 13 months ago from the CVO. No country outside the Community has banned totally the import of animal protein from the UK. ³

6.40 In written evidence Mr (now Sir Donald) Thompson later made the following observation about this:

My policy has always been one of complete openness. This is encapsulated in paragraph 6 of my submission to the Minister of 2 June 1989 . . . I pointed out that the problem of BSE and its relationship to feed had been discussed on numerous occasions in committees in Europe. On an international basis we had been and would continue to be completely open with exporters of livestock and users of animal protein. ⁴

6.41 On 6 June 1989 a meeting was held between Mr MacGregor, Dr Jeremy Metters of DH and MAFF officials (including Mr Meldrum and Mr Cruickshank) to discuss, among other things, Mr Thompson's minute of 2 June. On exports of animal protein, the note of the meeting records:

It was agreed that there was no case for banning feeding pigs and poultry with ruminant-based protein. Nor was it felt there was a case to ban the use of this material for exports in the form of bone meal. ⁵

6.42 On 15 June Mr Meldrum wrote to Mr Francis Anthony, President of the British Cattle Veterinary Association. His letter included the following:

We have discussed by telephone the reasons why we would not wish to interfere with the export of meat and bone meal from this country even if we had the powers to do so. It is our view that the importing country must determine its own import conditions and to that end we have ensured that all countries of the world have been informed of our problems not only through the publication of articles but by statements at meetings of the Office International des Epizooties, the most recent of which took place in May 1989 in Paris. It does appear that a number of countries are concerned at the importation of meat and bone meal from GB and, although only two so far have intervened, we expect others to follow suit in due course. As you will appreciate we do not consider it morally indefensible to export meat and bone meal to other countries since it may be used for feeding to pigs and poultry as in this country. ⁶