Catalogue description Records of the Inquiry into BSE

In 1996 the Government was advised by an expert committee of scientists that a new varient of Creutzfeld-Jacob disease had been identified in humans and that it seemed likely to be linked to BSE in cattle. On 26 March 1996 the Government made this advice publicly available and on 22 December 1997 it was announced that there would be an Inquiry into the history and emergence of BSE and the Government's response up to March 1996. The Inquiry started on 12 January 1998 with the following terms of reference:

• To establish and review the history of the emergence and identification of BSE and new varient CJD in the United Kingdom, and of the action taken in response to it up to 20 March 1996;
• To reach conclusions on the adequacy of that response, taking into account the state of knowledge at that time;
• To report on these matters to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Health and the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Inquiry was chaired by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers. The other Committee members were Mrs June Bridgeman CB and Professor Malcolm Ferguson-Smith. Counsel to the Inquiry was Paul Walker QC.

The Inquiry was not statutory and as such evidence and witness statements and appearances were voluntary. Evidence was heard from scientists, farmers, private industry, senior civil servants, local authorities, former ministers and families of victims of vCJD.

The Inquiry hearings were divided into two phases. Phase one began in March 1998 and was itself divided into seven stages, each comprising witnesses from different fields such as scientists or civil servants. It focussed on collecting factual evidence to piece together the history of BSE. Phase one ended in December 1998 and from then until June 1999 the Inquiry prepared for the phase two hearings. This involved evaluating and analysing evidence from phase one and sending out letters to those who faced potential criticism and evaluating their responses.

Phase two of the Inquiry started in June 1999 and culminated in the report to ministers in October 2000. The main focus of this phase was to clarify, by way of further investigation, the findings of stage one, and to deal with any conflicts of evidence and potential criticisms.