BURNLEY MP Peter Pike has blamed the last Tory government for the 'incalculable' cost of the mad cow crisis - £1.5 billion to the taxpayer alone.

He tackled the new Agriculture Minister Jack Cunningham on the effects of the BSE outbreak on Britain at Question Time in the Commons yesterday.

The Labour backbencher intervened as MPs debated a statement from Mr Cunningham about measures to try get Europe to lift the beef export ban.

He told Dr Cunningham: "You know the appalling cost to the nation, to farmers and to all in the meat industry of the previous government's appalling mishandling of the matter.

"Can you give the current figures for BSE incidence in herds? "Will you make absolutely clear that it is the policy of your Department not to dodge the issues as the previous government did, but to solve the problem as soon as possible?"

Dr Cunningham told Mr Pike: "You are right. The costs are horrendous: £1.5 billion and rising to the British taxpayer.

"Let me add that the previous administration did not make sufficient provision in public expenditure to cover all the costs - just another of the little ticking time bombs we have found in the public finances since the General Election.

"The cost to the meat industry has also been catastrophic: some £800 million. The cost to farmers is almost incalculable. The financial consequences alone are truly horrendous.

"On the incidence of BSE, at the latest count on June 4, the figures showed that there had been 169,349 cases which is currently running at 100 cases a week.

"That is a much reduced rate, but it is still much higher than in other similarly affected countries."

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