Cases of TSE disease found in sheep from passive surveillance have been recorded since 1993. The European Union active surveillance started in January 2002.

In active surveillance, the number of sheep sampled in the testing programme has varied each year . It has included:

• a sample of fallen sheep over 18 months of age.
• a sample of healthy slaughtered sheep over 18 months of age.

Cases which have been identified from flocks in the Compulsory Scrapie Flock Scheme (CSFS) are shown separately.

APHA attempt to trace all cases of scrapie back to their natal (birth) flock so that it can confirm disease on the appropriate premises and control measures can be applied. In some cases this can take time. Where a final decision has not been made on where to confirm disease, the case is included in the number of pending cases.

The following reports are also available:

• Sheep and goats: scrapie disease surveillance
• Scrapie: TSE surveillance statistics

Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) collates summary statistics on the number of cases of TSE disease found through active and passive disease surveillance of animals. This includes summary statistics on the number of submissions tested and cases found from through the Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme.

Active disease surveillance

European law requires all Member States to carry out active disease surveillance for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, and scrapie in sheep and goats. This data is used to determine the TSE disease status of each country.

Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme

Since 2004, disease control measures require sheep flocks and goat herds to join the Compulsory Scrapie Flocks Scheme (CSFS) when a case of scrapie is confirmed. Subsequent cases of scrapie in these flocks and herds are reported separately.

APHA provides summary statistics on the number of submissions tested and cases found through the CSFS testing routes (initial cull, annual cull and fallen stock) in Great Britain.

Passive disease surveillance

Passive disease surveillance takes place when an animal with clinical signs suspicious of a TSE disease is reported to an APHA office, and further investigation determines whether the animal was affected by BSE or scrapie.

We want to know what you think about our plans to consolidate the current rules on bottled drinking water.

This update will also:

• ease burdens on businesses by removing a national requirement which no longer has a scientific evidence base
• change the way offences are enforced, allowing Local Authorities to take a more proportionate approach
• apply new requirements for businesses to test and monitor for radioactive substances in bottled drinking water

The new regulations will come into force in early January 2016 and will apply in England only. Separate regulations will be made in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These regulations will replace the current regulations.

Use this form with applications that include the options:

• Permanent grassland with very low inputs (outside SDAs) (GS2)
• Assessment of eligibility for permanent grassland options (GS5)
• Management of species-rich grassland (GS6)

You do not have to use this form. You can use your own document if it gives enough information to meet the requirements.

Send this form or your own document with an application to show that land is eligible for a permanent grassland option.

We are looking for proposals that support the NDA mission to deliver safe, sustainable and publicly acceptable solutions to the challenge of decommissioning and clean-up of the UK’s civil nuclear legacy.

Up to £500,000 is available to support projects that will lead to the award of a PhD.

The NDA’s goals for the scheme are as follows:

• maintain and develop the key technical skills that will be required to help us carry out the mission over the coming decades
• provide fundamental understanding of technologies and processes across the NDA estate
• develop early stage technologies (Technology Readiness Level 1 to 3)
• encourage 2-way knowledge transfer between the academic and industrial communities working on nuclear decommissioning

Eligibility

Only project proposals with a total cost to NDA of less than £120,000 will be considered (excluding cost of any collaboration with US research organisations).

Applications for the annual bursary scheme are invited from:

• UK academic institutions for PhD projects
• sub-contractors, including Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) seeking ‘top-up’ funding for CASE awards and EngDocs

The relevant themes are:

1. characterisation
2. waste packaging and storage
3. land quality
4. decommissioning
5. spent fuel and nuclear material
6. effluents
7. open criteria (including robotics and aqueous effluents)

Eligibility will cover PhD projects involving universities or sub-contractors where the bursary is used as a grant top-up to access national facilities for research involving the handling of radioactive materials.

How to apply

Submissions will close at 15:00 on Monday 12 November 2018.

NDA PhD Bursary Call 2019