I want to update the House on the implementation of the
Government’s strategy to eradicate bovine TB in England by
2038.
Today the Animal and Plant Health Agency has published data
showing there has been a drop in TB incidence in the first
two cull areas, where the number of new confirmed breakdowns
has dropped by around 50%. In Gloucestershire the incidence
rate has dropped from 10.4% before culling began to 5.6% in
the 12 months following the fourth cull, while in Somerset it
has dropped from 24% to 12%.
Data on TB incidence in the next eight areas has also been
published today although, as we anticipated, it is too early
to see any impact on TB in those areas.
Bovine TB remains one of the greatest animal health threats
to the UK and the Government are continuing to take strong
action to eradicate the disease and protect the future of our
dairy and beef industries. Today I am announcing further
steps to enhance and strengthen our eradication strategy;
opening a new round of applications to our badger vaccination
grant scheme and issuing new licences for badger control in
2018.
Although it does not provide complete protection or cure
infected animals (which continue to spread TB), badger
vaccination has a role to play and three projects have
received Government funding in 2018 to vaccinate badgers in
the edge area of England. Therefore, applications for the
“Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme” will be re-opened later this
year, with grant funding available to private groups wishing
to carry out badger vaccination in the edge area. Groups will
receive at least 50% funding towards their eligible costs.
There is broad scientific consensus that badgers are
implicated in the spread of TB to cattle. This year,
following the effective licensed badger control operations in
2017, culling operations will take place across 39% of the
high-risk area. This includes a further 10 new areas which
have been licenced to undertake culling operations in 2018.
Alongside our robust cattle movement and testing regime, this
will allow us to achieve and maintain long-term reductions in
the level of TB in cattle across the south-west and midlands,
where the disease is widespread.
In order to eradicate a pocket of infection in both cattle
and badgers in the low-risk area, we have also licensed an
area within Cumbria to undertake culling operations in 2018.
Along with six-monthly cattle testing, movement restrictions
and good biosecurity on farms this approach offers the best
opportunity to deal quickly with this real and serious threat
in the low-risk area.
To ensure we have a successful and resilient industry as the
UK enters a new trading relationship with the world, we are
determined to implement all available measures necessary to
eradicate this devastating disease as quickly as possible. To
aid this, a review, led by Professor Sir Charles Godfray, is
looking at options to take the bTB strategy to the next phase
and will report to Ministers by the end of September 2018.
The findings will be published in due course along with
information on next steps.
