Written question asked by David Drew (Labour) on Thursday, 3 March 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 5 April 2005. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Tuesday, 5 April 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what powers she has to enforce tuberculosis tests on dairy farmers; and how many times these powers have been used in the last three years.

Answer: Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers she has to enforce tuberculosis tests on dairy farmers; and how many times these powers have been used in the last three years. [220766] Mr. Bradshaw: [holding answer 9 March 2005]: The bovine tuberculosis testing regime is executed by officers of Defra in England. Prosecutions for non-compliance are brought by local authorities as the body responsible for enforcement. If the person responsible for the animal fails to co-operate to enable his animals to be tested the appropriate officer may take all necessary steps to enable the test to be done. There have been no prosecutions by local authorities during the last three years to enforce tuberculosis tests on dairy farmers. Where, for whatever reason, tuberculosis tests are not carried out on time, the Department and the local authority endeavour to resolve the matter without recourse to the Courts.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 432 c1369W;432 c1365W; 220766
Session: 2004-05
Subjects: Dairy farming Enforcement Powers Prosecutions Testing Bovine tuberculosis
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk