THE BSE brains report remains a puzzle.

The study was intended to find out if BSE had crossed from cattle into sheep. But, on Monday, we were told that the brains used in the five-year £200,000 study were from cattle, not sheep. Subsequently, it emerged that that might not be the case.

In the House of Commons, DEFRA Secretary of State Margaret Beckett was under fire with an MP from Wales, Simon Thomas, claiming that 40m sheep in England and Wales had come within 36 hours of being under death sentence.

During the debate, Ryedale MP John Greenway inquired into the future of the industry, wanting to know if removal of specified material from sheep more than a year old will continue.

"Sheep farmers will be dismayed by this hugely embarrassing delay because they have been implementing this procedure at great expense. Cull ewes are worthless," said Mr Greenway.

"Given the Government's refusal to help the sheep industry with that problem and given that there will be more years of research, will the Right Hon Lady consider much more sympathetically the financial support that the Government give to sheep producers in Wales, on the North Yorkshire Moors and in the uplands? They are making very little money and most of them are on the verge of bankruptcy?"

Mrs Beckett, who said she had "great sympathy" with farmers, said: "I believe that it is necessary for the removal of specified material to continue."

Referring to research to determine if there is BSE in sheep, she said: "Separate work on contemporary sheep brains (is) being carried out at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. We hope that that research will make a contribution."

Updated: 09:02 Thursday, October 25, 2001