THE British government was embroiled in a new row over food safety yesterday after ministers insisted that a report blaming poor slaughterhouse hygiene for the recent outbreak of E coli food poisoning, which has claimed 20 lives, had not been suppressed.
Under intense questioning from Mr Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, Mr John Major, repeatedly denied suggestions that the report, which was leaked to the media, had been deliberately withheld from the public because of the BSE crisis.
"There is no question of the report being suppressed. The report was produced by officials, drawn up for the Meat Hygiene Service. It was circulated for the people who needed to take action and I am advised by those people that they have implemented the action," he said.
Despite the denials, the Agriculture Minister, Mr Douglas Hogg, was forced to make an immediate Commons statement explaining the government's position. Describing the report as an "internal working document", Mr Hogg admitted that its author, Mr Bill Swann, had been asked to rewrite his first draft because his conclusions were "rather unsatisfactory and not fully reflecting the views of the others who had taken part in the review".
Mr Swann's report alleged that carcasses at British abattoirs were being contaminated with E coli bacteria through the admission of dirty animals for slaughter. After inspecting every abattoir in the country, Mr Swann stated he discovered excrement and blood on meat being prepared for human consumption.
Although the report was due to be published last March, Mr Swann says the British government deliberately suppressed it. "We were told to a certain extent to tone down its findings ... I was told that it was not a good thing to release this type of document given that the industry had taken, such a battering over the BSE crisis," he said.
Earlier, Mr Blair insisted that Labour was not taking victory at the general election for granted after the Shadow Foreign Secretary, Mr Robin Cook, predicted a landslide win.
"If you take people for granted, they very quickly remind you who is boss. We take nothing for granted. This has been a patient rebuilding of the Labour Party as the New Labour Party. We take our responsibility very seriously," he said.