Issue 1981, UK Telegraph
Friday 27 October 2000
URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=003707073259657&rtmo=pIlIUQ1e&atmo=gggggg3K&pg=/et/00/10/27/npar27.html
The Government won broad praise yesterday for its swift reaction to the Phillips inquiry into BSE and the news that a national fund for the victims of CJD is to be established.
Nick Brown, the Agriculture Minister, said: "The new national care fund will be used to purchase care and equipment appropriate to the individual needs of variant CJD patients." He praised the families who had successfully campaigned for better care and said their response had been dignified and constructive.
In addition, he promised that compensation, which could amount to millions of pounds, would be provided for those who care for CJD victims and for the families of those who have died. He said the 4,000-page report needed to be carefully studied but he promised a full Government debate as soon as possible.
Tim Yeo, the Tory agriculture spokesman, called the report clear, comprehensive and fair. While it was always easier to be wise with the benefit of hindsight, he admitted that mistakes had been made and said: "I accept the criticisms made in the report."
He supported Mr Brown's sentiments, particularly concerning financial compensation, and said: "Our task now is to find ways of minimising and alleviating the suffering and distress of victims of variant CJD and their families." He wanted to know whether lessons could be learnt about how relations between Whitehall departments could be improved, and suggested that scientific advice given to ministers in future be made public.
John Major, the former prime minister, praised the Government for setting up the Phillips inquiry and called the report impressive and objective. He said: "The victims must have suffered an agony of mind and body that we can barely begin to imagine."
Tom Clarke (Lab, Coatbridge and Chryston) said the mother of his late constituent Donnamarie McGivern, who died of CJD aged 17 last year, welcomed the Government's plans for compensation and care packages and said its openness would benefit future victims. Judy Mallaber (Lab, Amber Valley) one of several MPs who spoke about constituents who had been victims of CJD, said that a failure to learn fully all the lessons about removing the secrecy would be a betrayal of victims' families.
Despite the chorus of praise, Colin Breed, the Liberal Democrat agriculture spokesman, criticised the way the entire BSE crisis was handled. "It is a sorry saga of complacency in the early years, incompetence when risks were emerging and complicity when things started to go wrong. I believe it portrays a culture of Whitehall secrecy, inter-departmental failure to communicate and, when combined with party political expediency, results in a betrayal of the public and of its interests."
Michael Jack, (C, Fylde) urged the Government to encourage other European countries to hold a full debate of the lessons to be learned from the report. Malcolm Bruce (Lib Dem, Gordon) said the consequences of withholding information about BSE had been devastating. He hoped that the Government was prepared for a large rise in cases in the future.
Later, in the Lords, Lady Trumpington said she regretted media criticisms of her former Tory colleagues at the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, John MacGregor and John Gummer. "Politicians are not scientists. All they do is repeat the best information they can get, from the best available sources," she said.
Lady Hayman, an Agriculture Minister, admitted that the situation was very difficult and unclear and said there was no accusation of dishonourable conduct. "The Government was preoccupied with preventing an over-alarmist reaction to BSE . . . it is now clear this campaign of reassurance was a mistake."
Earl Ferrers, a former Tory deputy leader of the Lords, told the House that he had had BSE-infected cows. However, he pointed out that deaths from BSE - 86 over 10 years - amounted to eight deaths a year. That compared with 3,000 deaths per year from motor accidents and 30,000 from lung cancer.
"The awful thing is that we all have to die some time and we don't look forward to it. But is the Government right to offer compensation to one sector of people who have died?"