To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice has been given to the Government of the Irish Republic about their handling of the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the Republic.

We have kept the Government of the Irish Republic fully informed about the measures we have taken to deal with bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United Kingdom and of the reasons for taking them.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the Government to respond to the Agriculture Committee's report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

I and my right hon. Friends have today presented to Parliament the Government's response to the House of Commons Agriculture Committee's report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Copies of the response have been deposited in the Library of the House and are available from the Vote Office.