To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Food Standards Agency's policy on testing sheep for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies using the test developed by Professor Prusiner of the University of California. [109850]

Testing of sheep for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the rural affairs Departments of the Devolved Administrations. I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that its policy is that such testing should be carried out using the most appropriate European Union approved test.