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Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kong-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (June 18):

Question:

As some cattle in Japan were suspected of having been infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (commonly known as the "mad cow disease"), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has prohibited the import of Japanese beef since September 2001. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:

(a) it knows if there have been cases of cattle in farms in Japan being infected with the mad cow disease in recent months; if so, of the dates of their occurrence and their number; if there have been no such cases, of the reasons for continuing to ban the import of Japanese beef;

(b) it knows the countries which are currently importing beef from Japan; and

(c) it has recently discussed with the relevant authorities in Japan the resumption of the import of Japanese beef; if so, of the details of such discussions and the expected date to resume import of Japanese beef?

Reply:

(a) Hong Kong has suspended the import of beef from Japan since September 2001 following the discovery of the first Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, more commonly known as mad cow disease) case in Japan. There is still mad cow disease in Japan. According to the statistics released by the Office International Des Epizooties, as of January 23, 2003, a total of seven cases were found in Japan since September 2001 and two of them occurred in 2003. The suspension is continuing because the Japanese Government has yet to provide us with relevant information and documents assuring us that its exported beef is safe for human consumption.

(b) We are not aware, according to information available to us, that Japan is exporting beef to other places.

(c) We have been monitoring the mad cow disease situation in Japan and we will consider allowing resumption of beef import from Japan provided that the necessary food safety assurance is provided by the Japanese Government.

End/Wednesday, June 18, 2003

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