Volume 6: Human Health, 1989-96
4. Human health developments:January - December 1990
Overview of the events of 1990

4.7 The Tyrrell Report on research into spongiform encephalopathies was published at the beginning of 1990, and an SBO ban for human food was introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland. ¹

4.8 On 3 February 1990, the Veterinary Record published the preliminary results from two MAFF-funded research projects into the transmission of BSE. The first project was Professor Richard Barlow's ² work on dietary transmission of BSE to mice. ³ The second project was the work of the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) into the transmission of BSE to cattle by inoculation of infected brain material. ⁴ The presentation of these results is described in our fourth topic below, where we look at public concerns during 1990.

4.9 The Institute of Environmental Health Officers (IEHO) wrote to MAFF's Animal Health Division on 1 February 1990 explaining the difficulties that Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) were having with the interpretation, compliance, and enforcement of the 1989 SBO Regulations. ⁵ On 9 April representatives of the IEHO and the Meat Hygiene Division met to discuss these concerns. ⁶ These difficulties and the ensuing meeting feature below in our introductory description of general aspects of the ban, and in the sections dealing with our first two main topics (problems of brain removal, and concerns about contamination from other slaughterhouse practices).

4.10 As noted in Chapter 2, from 14 February 1990 compensation payable in Great Britain on the slaughter of an animal affected with BSE was increased to 100 per cent of the sound market value of the animal. ⁷

4.11 On 10 May 1990, MAFF issued a news release announcing that a spongiform encephalopathy had been diagnosed in a cat. ⁸ Following an intensive media reaction, the Minister of Agriculture announced on 15 May that 'British beef is perfectly safe to eat.' ⁹ The following day the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Sir Donald Acheson, stated that 'British beef can be eaten safely by everyone.' ¹⁰ SEAC held an emergency meeting on 17 May 1990 at which it confirmed it would endorse the CMO's statement that British beef could be eaten safely. ¹¹ We deal with these events in our fourth main topic for this chapter, public concerns about the risk to human health; they are also dealt with in vol. 11: Scientists after Southwood.

4.12 On 16 May the House of Commons Agriculture Committee decided to undertake an investigation into BSE. ¹² During May and June it received evidence from Ministers, various officials and interested parties. Its report was published on 10 July. Different aspects of their deliberations and report feature below in our introductory description of general aspects of the ban, and in the sections dealing with each of our first, second and fourth main topics.

4.13 The Committee's report set out the background to the Inquiry:

Considerable public anxiety had been generated about the disease and, in particular, the possibility that it could be transmitted from cattle to humans. Our intention was to gather the relevant evidence and present the House with an early assessment of the available facts.

The circumstances of the inquiry bore many resemblances to our 1989 inquiry into salmonella in eggs. Allegations and counter-allegations were rife, public anxiety was being fanned by sensationalist reporting and there was a lack of confidence, in some quarters, about reassurances offered by Government Ministers. But there was one important difference. With salmonella, controversy focussed on the extent of the threat to human health; with BSE, on whether there was any threat at all. This inevitably gave the inquiry a rather hypothetical flavour and ensured that its centrepiece would be the arguments between different scientific experts. ¹³

4.14 The main task the Committee set itself was to 'allow a public ventilation of the main scientific issues and reach an interim conclusion on the issue of greatest public concern - is beef safe?'. ¹⁴

4.15 On 8 June the European Commission issued Decision 90/261/EEC affecting the health certificates required in order to export beef from the UK to other member states. In the case of fresh bone-in bovine meat, this could not be exported unless the health certificate stated that the meat was derived from bovines which were not from holdings where BSE had been confirmed in the previous two years. In the case of fresh boneless bovine meat, export was not permitted unless the health certificate stated that during the cutting process obvious nervous and lymphatic tissue had been removed. ¹⁵ We deal with this Decision in our third main topic below.

4.16 SEAC held its third meeting on 13 June and produced advice on head-splitting. At its fourth meeting on 2 July SEAC agreed its draft letter and supporting paper to the CMO on the safety of beef. The letter and supporting paper were sent to the CMO on 24 July. These matters are dealt with in our first and fourth main topics below.

4.17 On 23 August Dr Hilary Pickles (Principal Medical Officer, DH) reported to Sir Donald Acheson that a pig inoculated with BSE (by various routes) under experimental conditions had been diagnosed with a spongiform encephalopathy. ¹⁶ This was discussed by SEAC at its fifth meeting on 19 September. ¹⁷ MAFF announced the results of the pig experiment on 24 September 1990, at the same time as it banned the use of SBO in all animal feed (discussed in more detail in vol. 5: Animal Health, 1989-96). ¹⁸ We deal with this in our fourth main topic below.

4.18 SEAC met again on 1 November 1990. It discussed, among other things, a paper by MAFF on slaughterhouse practices that considered carcass-splitting, MRM and use of pithing rods. ¹⁹ We deal with this in our second main topic below.

4.19 The Government's response to the Report of the Agriculture Select Committee on BSE was published on 21 November 1990. We deal with this in each of our first, second and fourth main topics below.

4.20 It is convenient to mention here some changes to the role of individuals in MAFF and DH during the period covered by this chapter.

4.21 MAFF:

• Mr Mike Griffiths was Head of the Meat Hygiene Division of MAFF until September 1990, when he was replaced by Mrs Jane Brown.
• Mr John Maslin was Head of the administrative branch within the Animal Health Division dealing with notifiable and non-notifiable diseases until April 1990, when he became Head of the newly created BSE branch.
• Mr David Kyle retired as ACVO responsible for notifiable diseases in April 1990, when Mr Derek J Evans, Assistant Chief Veterinary Officer (ACVO) responsible for Animal Welfare, took on his responsibilities. ²⁰

4.22 DH:

• Mr William Waldegrave succeeded Mr Clarke as Secretary of State for Health in November 1990. A few months earlier, in May 1990, Mr Stephen Dorrell succeeded Mr Freeman as Parliamentary Secretary (Commons).
• In July 1990 Mr Thomas Murray took over from Dr Pickles as Joint Secretary to SEAC; Dr Pickles continued to act as professional assessor/ adviser. ²¹