To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the scientific rationale is for continuing to cull bovine spongiform encephalopathy cohort cattle. (141101)

A Veterinary Risk Assessment (VRA), published on 21 May 2007, concluded that culling cohorts of cattle affected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) as soon as possible:

(i) supports the Government’s challenging target of eradicating BSE in Great Britain by 2010;

(ii) promotes consumer confidence in UK beef; and

(iii) avoids the need for expensive additional control measures to monitor cohorts.

The VRA is available on the DEFRA website.