Volume 5: Animal Health, 1989-96
4a. Implementation, enforcement and monitoring of the animal SBO ban
Promulgation of the animal SBO ban

4.71 On 24 September 1990, Mr Maslin sent a copy of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (No. 2) Amendment Order 1990 (the Order) to local authority associations of District, County, Metropolitan and London Borough Councils, and to trading standards associations. ¹ He explained:

The Order amends existing BSE legislation by prohibiting the use in all animal feed (including pet food) of those specified bovine offals already prohibited from food for human consumption.

As explained in the Press Release, also enclosed, this measure implements advice from [SEAC] in the light of a pig succumbing to disease after being inoculated with a massive dose of tissue from the brains of BSE cattle.

I realise that bringing in this measure with immediate effect and without prior consultation causes difficulties for enforcement authorities. Ministers decided however that it was necessary to act on the Committee's advice without delay.

If you would like to meet to discuss the Order and its enforcement please let me know so I can arrange a meeting as quickly as possible. ²

4.72 Mrs Jane Brown, Head of the Meat Hygiene Division, told the Inquiry that, as far as she was aware, Mr Maslin's offer was not taken up. ³

4.73 Mr Crawford informed all DVOs of the new Order by letter on 25 September 1990. He enclosed a copy of the Order and asked DVOs to:

1. contact the Local Authorities responsible for enforcing the disposal aspects of the Bovine Offal (Prohibition) Regulations 1989, the Meat (Sterilisation and Staining) Regulations 1982 and this latest Order to ensure that they are fully aware of the legal position.

2. contact any rendering Company in your area to advise them that you have been in touch with the Local Authorities to make clear to them what the legal position is. Would you please ask the renderers to let you know if they have any evidence that the rules are being breached. ⁴

4.74 Mr Crawford also said:

I am sorry to burden you with these additional tasks. However, this is a very sensitive area, with health and environmental implications. It is also an area which the media is quite likely to latch onto if major problems do arise. ⁵

4.75 In addition to his colleagues' letters to local authority associations and DVOs, Mr Lawrence sent a letter to UKRA on 27 September 1990. The letter stated that DVOs had been requested to advise any renderer in their area that the DVOs had been in touch with the local authorities, and to ask the renderer to inform the DVOs of any evidence of a breach in the rules regarding disposal of SBO. ⁶ UKRA forwarded this letter to its members on 1 October 1990. ⁷