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CHANCE TO HEAR NOBEL WINNER PRUSINER AT BSE INQUIRY

Scientists, students, and members of the public are invited to hear
Professor Stanley Prusiner, winner of the 1997 Nobel Laureate in
Medicine, giving evidence to the BSE Inquiry on Saturday 6 June at 3pm
in London. 

Before the hearing a video of Professor Prusiner speaking about his work
at a conference in 1997 will be shown. The video will commence at 2pm.
Professor Prusiner's evidence in person will start at 3pm. Everyone is
welcome to attend both the hearing and video presentation. 

Professor Prusiner was awarded the Nobel Prize for his research on
prions (proteinaceous infectious particles). In 1974 Prusiner set up a
laboratory to study scrapie and in 1982 identified the existence of
prions.  Many scientists believe that the prion is responsible for the
transmission of BSE.

The BSE Inquiry, an independent Inquiry set up by the Government in
December 1997, has been taking evidence since March 1998. The Inquiry
has heard from scientists, government scientific committees, rendering
plants and the animal feed industry. In June and July evidence will be
taken from government scientists and administrators. The Inquiry is due
to report in June 1999. 

The hearing will take place in public at the BSE Inquiry, 6th Floor,
Hercules House, Hercules Road, London, SE1 7DU.


NOTES TO EDITORS

1.	The first stages of the Inquiry are:

Stage 4 
1 June - mid-September 1998
Government scientists, administrators and senior civil servants
Scientists who did not appear in Stage 2

Stage 3 
27 April - 1 May 1998
Rendering and animal feed industries pre-1986 

Stage 2 
11 March - 2 April 1998
Scientists
Government scientific committees

Stage 1 
10 March 1998
Roger Tomkins (father of Clare Tomkins, a victim of nv CJD)
Dr Nick Cheales (GP of Clare Tomkins)
Colin Whitaker (vet)
David Bee (vet)

Opening statements:
9 March 1998
Sir Nicholas Phillips, Chairman to the Inquiry
Paul Walker, Counsel to the Inquiry
David Body, Solicitor representing the families
Stuart Catchpole, MAFF Counsel
Sarah Moore, Health Counsel
Stuart Isaacs, National Farmers Union Counsel

2.	The terms of reference for the Inquiry are:

	"To establish and review the history of the emergence and
identification of BSE and new variant 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
knowledge at the time; and to report on these matters by 30 June 1999 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."

3.	The Inquiry was announced by Dr Jack Cunningham, Minister of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and Frank Dobson, Secretary of State
for Health, on 22 December 1997 and is due to report by June 1999.

4.	The Inquiry Chairman is Sir Nicholas Phillips, an Appeal Court
judge. Sir Nicholas presided over the Maxwell and the Barlow Clowes
cases. 

	The Inquiry Committee has two other members:

	June Bridgeman CB, who has worked as a senior civil servant in
several Government Departments and as a Deputy Chair of the Equal
Opportunities Commission for Great Britain. 

	Professor Malcolm Ferguson-Smith MBChB, FRCP, FRSE, FRS, a
Professor of Pathology at Cambridge University and Honorary Consultant
in Medical Genetics at Addenbrooke's Hospital.

5.	The Inquiry is based at Hercules House, Hercules Road, Lambeth
North, London, SE1 7DU. Hearings take place at this address. General
enquiries telephone number 0171 261 8411 or 0845 6021013 (local call
rate). A live radio feed is available during the hearing, but no cameras
are allowed in the hearing room.

6.	Anyone wishing to submit evidence to the Inquiry should write to
the Secretary to the Inquiry at the address above.


Issued by:

Press Office, The BSE Inquiry, 6th Floor, Hercules House
Hercules Road, London, SE1 7DU

Telephone 		0171 261 8377 / 8383
Fax 			0171 803 0893
Email			[log in to unmask]
Email			[log in to unmask]
Website		http://www.bse.org.uk

Out of hours pager service for urgent media use only: 	01399 733811
 




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