John Utting (November 3) would do well to study the Phillips report and the scientific evidence with a little more care before making misguided accusations.

Neither of the main political parties are known for pulling their punches in House of Commons debates, so it is of considerable note that agriculture minister Nick Brown's statement regarding the Phillips report was distinctly low key and non-accusatory.

While there is strong circumstantial evidence linking BSE and nvCJD, there is no firm scientific evidence to support that contention. It is also noteworthy that the causative agent and the nature of transmission remain unknown despite over a decade of enquiry. The latent period between first receiving the substance responsible for nvCJD and there being outward evidence of the disease also remains unknown, and those that have died may well have been infected in the 1970s.

In such circumstances the apportionment of blame is, I suggest, highly suspect, and Mr Utting's accusations are without foundation in fact.

May I suggest that the advent of BSE and nvCJD indicate vividly that even today much remains unknown, and that it is wise to proceed with extreme caution. The advent of GM organisms in our food chain, should occasion at least a similar degree of caution.

Dr C O LISTER

Whitworth Road, Swindon