MS, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change &
Rural Affairs: I am happy to introduce the Bovine TB
Technical Advisory Group (TAG) ahead of its first meeting on
Wednesday 17 April 2024.
As previously announced Professor Glyn Hewinson will chair the
TAG, with a wealth of knowledge and as Sêr Cymru Chair of the TB
Centre of Excellence in Aberystwyth, he will be at the forefront
of leading the group.
Members of the group are:
- Robert Smith is a Clinical Scientist and public health
infectious disease epidemiologist with over 30 years' experience
in zoonotic, parasitic and gastrointestinal infections with
Public Health Wales and its predecessors.
- David Grove-White was Head of the Department of Livestock
Health and Welfare at the University of Liverpool until
retirement in 2019. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon from
Liverpool in 1975 and spent his working life with both beef and
dairy cattle in the UK and overseas in the Middle East and
Africa.
- Gwenllian Rees is a Lecturer in Veterinary Science at
Aberystwyth University, Veterinary Development Manager with
Menter a Busnes and President of the Welsh Branch of the British
Veterinary Association.
- Sarah Tomlinson is a Farm vet with over 22 years' experience
in clinical practice. She is the Technical Director of the TB
Advisory Service (TBAS), a Defra funded project delivering
bespoke TB biosecurity advice to livestock keepers across
England, through private vets.
- Gareth Enticott is a Professor of Human Geography at Cardiff
University. For the last 25 years, his work has examined the
social dimensions of the management of animal disease, focusing
on bovine Tuberculosis in England, Wales and New Zealand.
- Gareth Edwards is a Veterinary surgeon from North Wales. His
career has included working in rural veterinary practices in
north Wales, research, the pharmaceutical industry and
Government.
- Ifan Lloyd is a Veterinary surgeon with over 35 years'
experience working as a clinical vet and 17 years as a Partner in
a mixed veterinary practice in Swansea. A director of Iechyd Da
(gwledig) the veterinary delivery partner covering South Wales.
- Keith Cutler is a practising cattle vet and has a particular
interest in infectious disease diagnostics and control on an
individual animal and herd level and after several years on the
CHeCS board and involvement with the CHeCS Technical Group he now
chairs the Technical Group.
- Sarah Woollatt is a Veterinary surgeon of over 6 years with
experience largely in farm animal practice alongside both vet
student and farm client education.
The Welsh Government understand the impact Bovine TB has on Welsh
farmer's mental health and have listened to the views of the
farming community. The TAG's first priority will be to review the
current on farm slaughter policy. In addition, following the
recommendations of the Task and Finish Group, the TAG will also
be inviting external organisations to give evidence to inform the
group findings.
Last Thursday (11 April) I visited a farm participating in the
Pembrokeshire Project, alongside Professor Hewinson to see, and
hear, first-hand about some of the innovative, Welsh Government
funded partnership work being carried out between farmers and
their vets at the local level. It is essential this kind of
collaborative approach is at the heart of the Eradication
Programme, the TAG will be central to this.
The TAG will meet quarterly and provide advice to Welsh Ministers
through the forthcoming TB Programme Board. In the interim, until
the Programme Board is established, advice will come to me via
the Chief Veterinary Officer, Richard Irvine.
