Author: Peacock Carter

Curbs on the marketing of alcoholic drinks to protect children are included in new plans to tackle alcohol harm.

The Scottish Government’s ‘Alcohol Framework 2018: Preventing Harm’, includes proposals to consult on alcohol marketing such as public spaces and online. Under the framework, the UK Government will be pressed to impose a 9pm watershed for alcohol advertising on TV, and restrictions on advertising in cinemas are also proposed.

Alcohol producers will be urged to put health information on labels, and the current minimum unit price of 50 pence will be reviewed after 1 May 2020.

Alcohol misuse costs Scotland £3.6 billion each year – £900 for every adult – and on average, almost 700 Scots are hospitalised because of their drinking every week.

Speaking at the European Alcohol Policy Conference in Edinburgh, Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said:

“Our new Alcohol Framework sets out our next steps on tackling alcohol-related harm. We need to keep challenging our relationship with alcohol to save lives. Behind each statistic is a person, a family, a community struggling with the impact of alcohol harms. These new measures build on the progress of our 2009 Framework which has made an impact by tackling higher-risk drinking, but we want to go further.

“Scotland’s action is bold and it is brave and, as demonstrated by our world-leading minimum unit pricing policy, we are leading the way in introducing innovative solutions to public health challenges.”

Large-scale Low Emission Zones (LEZs) can deliver improvements in urban air quality and these can be linked to changes in childhood respiratory health. However, more ambitious schemes are required to meet legislative limits and deliver improvements to respiratory health, according to a study in the Lancet Public Health journal.

The study looked into the impact of London’s LEZ and found that while it has improved air quality it has not been enough to benefit children’s lung health.

The observational study was conducted with more than 2,000 primary school children living in areas of high pollution within the low emission zone. The research tested the lung capacity of eight-to nine year old children between 2009 and 2014. It began just after LEZ charges began and continued after the rules were tightened in 2012. 

LEZs are in place in 200 cities across Europe but only reductions in nitrogen dioxide were identified; as the percentage of children living at addresses exceeding the EU limit value for annual NO2 (40 μg/m3) fell from 99% in 2009 to 34% in 2013. However, little progress was found in the reduction of ultrafine particles (PM2.5) or particulate matter (PM10) over the study period, which is a health concern due to their ability to reach deep inside the lung. 

Within London's LEZ, a smaller lung volume in children was associated with higher annual air pollutant exposures. The study found that despite small improvements in air quality there was no evidence of a reduction in the proportion of children with small lungs over the five years since the zone was implemented.

Author of the report Professor Chris Griffiths from Queen Mary University of London said: ‘Some improvements in air quality have been made despite the diesel vehicles emitting higher levels of pollutants in the real world than in tests. 

‘Even so, many areas of inner and outer London are still breaching EU air pollution standards and are unlikely to meet them without a substantial tightening of current emission controls.’

Griffiths said: ‘Although changes of this magnitude are unlikely to cause problems in healthy children, we urgently need to know whether these lung deficits will impact lung function and health in later life.

‘Until longer-term impacts are known, doctors should consider advising parents of children with clinically significant lung disease to avoid living in highly polluted areas, or to adopt personal mitigation measures to limit their exposure. More research is needed to identify factors that lead to increased susceptibility or protection.’

MPs have called on the Government to strengthen the commitments made in its 25-year Environment Plan in order to prepare for the event of a no-deal Brexit scenario, claiming that the UK is currently at risk of losing one-third of green legislation if no agreement with the EU is agreed.

After writing a report citing its concerns about the UK’s 25-year Environment Plan earlier this year, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has now published the Government’s response.

The EAC’s initial report, published in July, called on the Government to create legally-binding targets for environmental issues that can be scrutinised by a new independent oversight body. Specifically, the report called for issues such as air quality, waste, water and soil to be subject to five-year reports.

It additionally recommended that the UK’s new green watchdog should have the power take the Government and other public bodies to court where standards are breached, as well as the remit to oversee all public authorities and to initiate its own investigations that can be adjudicated by the courts.

The concern is that after Britain leaves the EU, there will be no UK body to replace the role of the European Commission or the European Environment Agency, which has the same power.

Responding to the EAC’s initial report, the Government claimed that it “already has extensive legal targets for the environment” which have been enshrined into UK law.

It additionally suggested that it is preparing to make sure a new statutory body is in place “as soon as is practically achievable” in the event of a no-deal Brexit – but provided no information on what powers the watchdog will have, or how these powers will be exacted.

“The Prime Minister has been clear that we will use the opportunity Brexit provides to strengthen and enhance our environmental protections – not to weaken them,” the Government’s response letter to the EAC states.

“A strong and objective voice that champions and enforces environmental standards will help the Government achieve our objectives of a Green Brexit and the vision set out in the 25-year Environment Plan.”

The letter of response was criticised by EAC chair Mary Creagh MP, who claimed that it failed to show a commitment to replacing the 33% of EU environmental legislation which has not yet entered into UK law.

“The Government’s woolly response makes no firm commitments on the future governance of the environment after Brexit, which is of great concern, given that the Agriculture Bill is making its way through Parliament,” Creagh said.

“If we want a world-leading environment, we need a strong, independent environmental watchdog which Ministers cannot quietly put to sleep. It is also deeply worrying that the response does not commit to replace the one-third of EU environmental legislation that cannot be copied and pasted into UK law after Brexit.

It is deeply worrying that the response does not commit to replace the one third of EU environmental legislation that cannot be copied and pasted into UK law after Brexit. It should set five yearly wildlife budgets, so people can see taxpayers' money being spent on public goods like flood prevention, protecting species from extinction and restoring our soils."

Despite Creagh’s concerns, the Government’s response does include a fresh commitment to publish annual reports on progress towards the 200 goals included in the 25-year Environment Plan.

It contains a pledge to bring forward draft clauses on the oversight and scrutiny functions of the regulatory body to this Autumn.

An independent review of “Cleaner Air for Scotland- The Road to a Healthier Future” has been announced. 

Cleaner Air for Scotland – The Road to a Healthier Future (CAFS) is Scotland’s first strategy specifically dedicated to tackling the issue in Scotland – previous strategies were conducted on a UK basis – was published in November 2015.

Professor Campbell Gemmell is to chair an independent review of Scotland’s air quality strategy. 

The review will explore the progress and impact of the air quality strategy; identify and assess any new and developments; make recommendations for future air quality policy; and outline actions needed to meet targets.

Although a Steering Group will be responsible for deciding the content of the review, it is anticipated it will cover transport, industrial, domestic and agricultural emissions as well as health, planning, and relevant business issues.

Announcing the review while meeting researchers at the British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said:

“There is a clear relationship between air pollution and human health impacts, and although we have made significant progress over recent years, more remains to be done.

“The Scottish Government is determined to drive down pollution levels, which is why I am delighted Professor Campbell Gemmell has agreed to chair a wide ranging independent review into our ambitious Clean Air for Scotland strategy.

“The review will bring together research being undertaken by the British Heart Foundation here in Edinburgh and others elsewhere to determine how we, as a nation, can take further positive steps to mitigate the impact of this hugely important subject.”

Professor Campbell Gemmell said:

“I am very pleased to have been invited to chair this review. Air pollution in Scotland has already improved significantly. It is a complex multi-dimensional challenge; connecting health, environment, climate change, planning, transport and business dimensions amongst others. As a result, it needs careful assessment in order to understand the issues, identify solutions and provide advice on the necessary next steps to continue to deliver long-term improvements in air quality and quality of life for everyone in Scotland. This review aims to provide government with the best advice available on the way ahead.

David McColgan, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager said:

“British Heart Foundation Scotland welcomes the announcement of this independent review of the Cleaner Air for Scotland Strategy demonstrates the Scottish Government’s clear commitment to improving Scotland’s air quality.

"The review represents an opportunity for the Scottish Government and partners across the country to signal their intentions to work in partnership to reduce harmful air pollution, which has been proven to contributes to poor health outcomes and the development of heart and circulatory disease."

The owner and manager of a takeaway, have been jailed for manslaughter after a teenage girl died when the meal she ordered carried peanuts.

Mohammed Abdul Kuddus and Harun Rashid, who ran Royal Spice in Lancashire, who were found guilty in October, have been jailed for two years and three years respectively at Manchester Crown Court.

15-year-old Megan Lee suffered irreversible brain damage after an allergic reaction to the meal, which she ordered via the Just Eat website in 2016. Despite detailing her allergies in an online form, her order was found to have the “widespread presence” of peanut protein.

She suffered an acute asthma attack after eating the food and died two days later, on 1 January 2017, having suffered irreversible brain damage.

The Lancashire takeaway was shut down days later following an inspection by Trading Standards and Environmental Health Officers.

In sentencing, Mrs Justice Yip told the pair that Megan was responsible enough to highlight her allergies when placing the order but “sadly the same responsibility was not at your end”.

She said the takeaway had no kitchen systems or processes to manage allergen control. She said “The menu contained no information about allergens. No record was kept of the ingredients used in dishes. In short, it appears that no-one at the takeaway had any way of knowing what allergens were in the food supplied.”

“In short, it appears that no one at the takeaway had any way of knowing what allergens were in the food supplied.”

The judge accepted that the defendants – both fathers – had expressed genuine remorse and that neither meant to kill the teenager.

She told them: “Neither of you actually foresaw the death of anyone. It never occurred to you that you would be responsible for the death of a young girl. Quite simply, you never gave the risk of a customer dying because of an allergy a moment’s thought.

“You must now live with the guilt of what you have done and the suffering you have caused Megan’s family and to your own families. All of this is a tragedy that could so easily have been avoided had you exercised the proper care to be expected of those who serve food to the public.”

A two-week trial at Manchester Crown Court was told of a “litany of failings” in the kitchen, including poor hygiene and no records of ingredients.

Kuddus, of Belper Street in Blackburn, received an additional eight month sentence, to run concurrently, for two food safety offences.

Rashid, who claimed he was merely a delivery driver at the restaurant at the time, was given 10 months in custody, also to run concurrently, for the same offences.

Megan ordered the meal with a friend via the Just Eat website on 30 December 2016, writing “prawns, nuts” in the comments and notes section. However, the delivered food, which included an onion bhaji, a seekh kebab and a peshwari naan, was later found to have the “widespread presence” of peanut protein.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Vaughton, of Lancashire Police, said: “Megan’s death was the tragic consequence of the conduct of these two men. As owner and operator, Kuddus and Rashid each owed a duty of care to the public.

“The defendants gave little thought to the consequences of their actions. They showed a blatant disregard for customer safety, hazard control, food safety and hygiene. Megan’s death was a tragedy waiting to happen.”

The Royal Spice takeaway is now trading under new ownership, police said.

In a statement read outside court after the verdicts, Mr Lee and his wife Gemma said their lives would never be the same after Megan’s death. They have called for other food businesses operating “in such a deplorable and ignorant manner” to learn from the verdicts and are working with an anaphylaxis charity. Mr Lee added :“Do not guess, do not play ignorant, do not play Russian roulette with precious lives,”

Mrs Justice Yip supported their call, saying she hoped “the message is heard” that food suppliers who fail to take proper care “will face significant custodial sentences if a death results”.

She added: “Like Mr and Mrs Lee, I hope that this tragic case adds to the growing awareness in the food industry of what can happen if allergies are not taken seriously.”

“Those who fail to heed the warnings and who continue to flout food safety regulations may find the courts taking a harsher view in the future.”

The judge praised Mr and Mrs Lee’s “dignity and courage” throughout the gruelling trial.

“They do not seek retribution but want their story to serve as a warning to others in the food industry so that other families will not be forced to experience the indescribable loss that they have suffered,” she added.

News of the sentencing comes amidst a heightened focus on allergen awareness within the industry.

Public Health England (PHE) has announced that a UK resident has sadly died after becoming infected with rabies following a cat bite during a visit to Morocco.

They said that while there was no risk to the wider public, as a precautionary measure, health workers and close contacts of the person who died were being assessed and offered vaccination when necessary.

Dr Tina Kenny, medical director of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, confirmed that the UK resident passed away at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. She said an internal review would be carried out “given that deaths from rabies are so rare in this country”.

PHE have consequently issued a reminder to travellers to avoid coming into contact with animals when travelling to rabies affected countries due to the risk of catching the disease.

Rabies is passed on through injuries such as bites and scratches from an infected animal. There are no documented instances of direct human to human transmission.

Rabies does not circulate in either wild or domestic animals in the UK, although some species of bats can carry a rabies-like virus.

In the UK, human rabies is extremely rare with only 5 cases of human rabies associated with animal exposures abroad occurred between 2000 and 2017.

The UK has been rabies-free since the beginning of the 20th century, with the exception of rabies-like viruses in some wild bat species. The last recorded rabies case in the UK was in 2012. In that instance, the individual was bitten by a dog in South Asia.

No human cases of rabies acquired in the UK from animals other than bats have been reported since 1902. A single case of human rabies acquired from a bat was reported in 2002 in Scotland; this individual had sustained a number of bat bites.

According to the World Health Organization, the disease occurs in more than 150 countries and causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa. It says in up to 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for the transmission of the virus to humans.

PHE remind that when travelling to rabies affected countries travellers should avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals wherever possible, and seek advice about the need for rabies vaccine prior to travel.

Anyone who has been bitten, scratched, or licked by an animal in a country with rabies, or has had direct contact with a bat in this country, should take immediate action by washing the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water. Local medical advice should be sought without delay, even in those who have been previously vaccinated.

When given promptly after an exposure, a course of rabies vaccine is extremely effective at preventing the disease. If such an exposure occurs abroad, the traveller should also consult their doctor on return, so that the course of rabies treatment can be completed. If travellers have not sought medical advice abroad, they should contact their doctor promptly upon return for assessment.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisations at PHE, said: “This is an important reminder of the precautions people should take when travelling to countries where rabies is present.”

The Scottish Government has launched a campaign highlighting the pitfalls of buying illegally bred puppies.

Buy a Puppy Safely campaign will focus on raising awareness of the tactics used by illegal breeders to deceive buyers.

Research shows that Scots are more likely to buy an illegally-bred puppy than they might think, with only 24% of Scots buying from an approved breeder and 1 in 4 considering using an online or website to buy a puppy.

Most illegally bred puppies are sold online through social media or small ad sites, and distressingly 1 in 4 puppies bought online die before their fifth birthday and 1 in 3 get sick or die in the first year.

The Buy a Puppy Safely campaign was launched by the Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environmental, Mairi Gougeon in Edinburgh, as the Scottish Government calls on the public to learn about the warning signs of an illegally- bred puppy. 

Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment, Mairi Gougeon said: “Illegal puppy farming only leads to misery- many suffer from congenital health problems or behavioural problems, causing distress to owners and leading to expensive vet bills that can cost thousands of pounds. 

“So, we’re working with animal welfare charities to raise awareness of the real consequences of buying illegally and highlighting how to spot the warning signs of an illegal dealer. 

“I know that a lot of people will be considering buying a puppy at this time of year, so my message to them is to do your homework first. The most important thing is to see the puppy with its mother, and to get the correct paperwork. If there’s no mum and no paperwork, then walk away and report your concerns to the Scottish SPCA helpline.”

Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said: "The launch of the Buy a Puppy Safely campaign is a welcome step forward in the fight against puppy farming, which is having a devastating effect on animal welfare in Scotland.

"Over the past year we have also been raising public awareness of the barbaric puppy trade in Scotland through our collaborative #SayNoToPuppyDealers campaign, and we are proud to support the Scottish Government on the launch of Buy a Puppy Safely.

"It is our hope that this will make it easier for members of the public looking to buy a puppy to avoid falling victim of this cruel trade."

The trade of puppies in Scotland online is estimated to worth £13million per year but shockingly a large proportion of these are believed to be illegally bred puppies including popular breeds such as Pugs, French Bulldogs, Cockapoos and Miniature Dachshunds. 

Illegal puppy dealers go to great lengths to deceive buyers from renting fake houses to sell the puppies from, to producing counterfeit paperwork and pretending the puppies’ mother is at the vet or out for a walk. One of the first avenues used by illegal puppy farmers to trick buyers is through online advertising as it’s the most common place for prospective buyers to begin their search. 

To help Scots avoid the heartache, misery and financial responsibilities that come with illegal puppy farming, the Scottish Government has launched a new website where buyers can find out how to spot an illegal bred puppy, both online and in person when meeting the puppy.

Pret a Manger’s allergy labelling was inadequate, the coroner in the case of a girl who died after eating a baguette from the food chain has said.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, died after eating a Pret a Manger artichoke and olive tapenade baguette bought from Heathrow Airport in 2016. She had severe allergies to many foods including sesame, which had been baked into a baguette, the ingredients had not been listed on the packaging. She collapsed during a flight from Heathrow to Nice, despite her father administering two EpiPen injections.

She was “reassured” by the lack of specific allergen information on the packaging, the coroner found.

Pret a Manger confirmed at the time of death that products would not have been individually labelled with allergen or ingredient information, which was within regulations.

EU Regulations and UK legislation require no allergen labelling on products that are not prepacked, or are prepacked for direct sale. However, the retailer is required to prompt consumers to ask about allergens by signposting by a notice where the intending purchaser chooses their food and have allergen information available.

At the inquest, the acting senior coroner for West London Dr Sean Cummings said that “it seems strange” that a local sandwich shop can benefit from that regulation but “that an organisation that sold 218 million items a year could also benefit”. He added that “a cynic might think it was almost a device to get round regulation relating to information on food allergens”

Cummings also questioned Pret a Manger’s handling of sesame at a time when there were six previous allergic reactions involving the same bread in the previous year. Dr Cummings said he would be writing to Pret a Manger about its practices of collecting information on allergic reactions and responding to serious concerns.

“I was left with the impression that Pret a Manger had not addressed the fact that monitoring food allergy in a business selling more than 200 million items year was something to be taken very seriously indeed,” Dr Cummings said.

Coroner Dr Sean Cummings said he would be reporting to the government over whether large businesses should be able to benefit from regulations that allow reduced food labelling for products made in shops.

Environmental secretary Michael Gove has already said the family of Ednan-Laperouse was “absolutely right” in its belief the law needed to be changed. He has instructed civil servants to investigate such a change.

Pret a Manger is to start trialling new labels that show full ingredients, including allergens, on packaging in all UK shops as quickly as possible.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “This is a deeply upsetting situation and my heart goes out to the family of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse.

“We are currently reviewing our approach to food labelling to give consumers more information. We await the findings of the inquest and stand ready to take appropriate action.”

The Prime Minister also told BBC Breakfast: “This was an absolutely tragic case and our thoughts are with [Natasha’s] family and friends over what happened.

“We have obviously to look at this issue, we have to look at the responsibility of individual companies as well.

Pret a Manger again found itself on the defensive again after it subsequently emerged that a second customer collapsed and died on 27 December last year after eating a vegan super-veg rainbow flatbread allegedly contaminated with milk protein. An inquest has yet to be held and there is dispute between Pret a Manger and its supplier CoYo as to the root cause.

On 10 October 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published ‘Environmental noise guidelines for the European region’. The guidelines have been developed, based on the growing understanding of these health impacts of exposure to environmental noise.

The main purpose of these guidelines is to provide recommendations for protecting human health from exposure to environmental noise originating from various sources: transportation (road traffic, railway and aircraft) noise, wind turbine noise and leisure noise. 

They provide robust public health advice underpinned by evidence, which is essential to drive policy action that will protect communities from the adverse effects of noise. 

Compared to previous WHO guidelines on noise, this version contains five new developments:

• stronger evidence of the cardiovascular and metabolic effects of environmental noise;
• inclusion of new noise sources, namely wind turbine noise and leisure noise, in addition to noise from transportation (aircraft, rail and road traffic);
• use of a standardised approach to assess the evidence;
• a systematic review of evidence, defining the relationship between noise exposure and risk of adverse health outcomes;
• use of long-term average noise exposure indicators to better predict adverse health outcomes.

The guidelines also highlight data and research gaps to be addressed in future studies.

Scotland’s Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR) has published a report on the quality of water found in private water supplies. The report finds that many of these supplies comply with drinking water standards but a significant number need to make further improvements.

Around 3.6 per cent of the Scottish population receive their water from a private water supply rather than from Scottish Water. In 2017 local authorities reported to DWQR that there were 22,269 registered PWS in Scotland, 2,494 Type A and 19,775 Type B.

Environmental Health teams from local authorities review risk assessments and sample Type A PWS annually. In 2017, just over 93% of Type A supplies had either a completed or reviewed risk assessment. 

A total of 46,470 tests were carried out on samples taken from Type A PWS to check for a range of contaminants. In total, 95% of tests complied with the standards. The smaller Type B supplies fall outwith the prescribed monitoring regime but some are sampled at the request of users, grant applications or as part of public health investigations. Of those sampled, 13,432 tests were undertaken, of which just under 88% met the required standard. 

Of the samples taken from regulated supplies, E. coli was found in 11% of samples, indicating that they are not receiving the treatment necessary to make the water safe. Given the potential risks to public health, all failures are thoroughly investigated by the local authority.

In 2017, as in 2016, only one improvement notice was served by a local authority across the whole of Scotland, as local authorities work with users to secure improvements through discussion or the use of improvement grants. In view of the number of supplies failing to meet the drinking water quality standards over a prolonged period this is a surprisingly low number. Although responsibility for private supplies rests with owners and users, local authorities are urged to continue to provide appropriate advice and DWQR expects them to make full use of the enforcement powers available to tackle deliver improvements. It is expected that the new suite of enforcement options introduced by new Regulations for private supplies in 2017 will see an increase in formal enforcement action. 

Results confirm that, at a national level, the quality of Type A private water supplies is broadly constant and has not improved since 2010 in spite of ongoing efforts by local authorities and the availability of a Scottish Government-funded grant to encourage improvements. In addition to E.coli, other parameters with significant numbers of failures on private water supplies included coliforms, colour, hydrogen ion (pH), iron, manganese and lead. 

However, a considerable amount of work is being undertaken by local authorities and also through Scottish Government initiatives such as the VTEC/E. coli O157 Action Plan with the aim of reducing the risk to health for consumers and securing lasting improvements to the quality of private water supplies. 

The report from the DWQR is available here. 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS), Public Health England (PHE) and Health Protection Scotland (HPS) are reminding people to take care when handling raw meat and to cook it properly.

This comes following a rise in cases of a particular strain of Salmonella typhimurium linked to lamb and mutton. The first increase in cases of this particular strain was seen July 2017. Prior to that, only two cases of this strain had been detected in England.

A number of control measures were put into place which led to a significant decline in cases at the end of 2017. A total of 118 cases were reported up until May 2018.

However, since June 2018, a further 165 cases have been reported (up to 19 October), which have led to further control measures being put in place. However, this action has not led to the same decline in cases as in 2017. The likely cause of the increased numbers of this specific strain is considered to be meat or cross-contamination with meat from affected sheep.

People can be infected with Salmonella typhimurium in a number of ways such as not cooking meat properly, not washing hands thoroughly after handling raw meat or through cross-contamination with other food, surfaces and utensils in the kitchen.

A case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Aberdeenshire.

The case was identified as a result of strict control measures are in place, as all animals over four years of age that die on farm are routinely tested for BSE under a comprehensive surveillance system.

In addition to the measures that are in place for fallen stock and animal feed, there is a strict control regime to protect consumers.  This includes the removal of specified risk material such as the spinal column, brain and skull from carcasses.

The case did not enter the human food chain and Food Standards Scotland have confirmed there is no risk to human health as a result of this isolated case. 

In line with the disease prevention response plan, precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place at the farm and Animal Health Agency (APHA) is further investigating to identify the origin of the disease occur.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said:

“Following confirmation of a case of classical BSE in Aberdeenshire, I have activated the Scottish Government’s response plan to protect our valuable farming industry, including establishing a precautionary movement ban being placed on the farm.

“While it is important to stress that this is standard procedure until we have a clear understanding of the diseases origin, this is further proof that our surveillance system for detecting this type of disease is working. Be assured that the Scottish Government and its partners stand ready to respond to any further confirmed cases of the disease in Scotland.”

Chief Veterinary Officer Sheila Voas said:

“While it is too early to tell where the disease came from in this case, its detection is proof that our surveillance system is doing its job. We are working closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency to answer this question, and in the meantime, I would urge any farmer who has concerns to immediately seek veterinary advice.

Ian McWatt, Director of Operations in Food Standards Scotland said:

“There are strict controls in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE, including controls on animal feed, and removal of the parts of cattle most likely to carry BSE infectivity.

“Consumers can be reassured that these important protection measures remain in place and that Food Standards Scotland Official Veterinarians and Meat Hygiene Inspectors working in all abattoirs in Scotland will continue to ensure that in respect of BSE controls, the safety of consumers remains a priority. We will continue to work closely with Scottish Government, other agencies and industry at this time.”