Official Report an updated table showing the number of cases of BSE confirmed in Great Britain each week in 1999 and in the current year to date, together with the moving annual total of cases reported in each 52-week period. [HL737]

Note: 1999 Week 1 is the week ending Friday 8 January. 2000 Week 1 is the week ending Friday 7 January.

As a result of the sampling of heads from cattle slaughtered under the Over Thirty Month Scheme (OTMS) during the first quarter of 1999, an extra 18 BSE cases were confirmed. These have been included in the figures for confirmed cases for week 30. These 18 OTMS survey cases are excluded from the column for reported cases as they were not reported and placed under restriction while alive.

The data for reported cases excludes one private submission which was included in data already supplied to the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, by my predecessor, my noble friend Lord Donoughue, on 29 July 1999, Official Report, col. WA 221 This private submission, which tested positive, remains recorded as a confirmed case.

It should be noted that the rate of confirmation may not closely reflect the progress of the epidemic. This is because there may be a variable and sometimes long delay between slaughter and confirmation as a result of delays in laboratory diagnosis and administrative procedures. The delay between slaughter and confirmation is on average six to eight weeks, but may on occasion be considerably longer.