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Written question asked by Bill Wiggin (Conservative) on Tuesday, 29 November 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 1 December 2005. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Monday, 5 December 2005 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Bovine TB

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tests for bovine tuberculosis her Department undertook in each month since 2001.
Answer

The number of tests for bovine tuberculosis undertaken since 2001 broken down by month are given in the following five tables.

Table 1
Month (2001) Total herd tests
January 4,209
February 3,392
March 233
April 233
May 245
June 185
July 302
August 232
September 303
October 415
November 680
December 973
Total 11,402
Table 2
Month (2002) Total herd tests
January 3,072
February 4,601
March 4,698
April 5,745
May 3,664
June 2,067
July 2,681
August 1,750
September 2,418
October 3,521
November 5,363
December 4,551
Total 44,131
Table 3
Month (2003) Total herd tests
January 6,093
February 5,555
March 5,699
April 4,515
May 3,007
June 2,769
July 2,553
August 1,800
September 2,914
October 2,872
November 3,762
December 3,581
Total 45,120
Table 4
Month (2004) Total herd tests
January 5,232
February 5,226
March 5,821
April 4,218
May 3,299
June 2,905
July 2,196
August 2,156
September 2,242
October 2,961
November 5,309
December 3,222
Total 44,787
Table 5
Month (2005) Total herd tests
January 5,336
February 5,510
March 4,541
April 4,175
May 3,083
June 2,272
July 2,026
August 2,118
September 2,483
Total 31,544
2001–05 total 176,984
(11) In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. When testing resumed in 2002, resources were concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds tested immediately after the FMD outbreak was greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, data for 2001 and 2002 are not comparable with other years.
(12) Provisional data downloaded from the State Veterinary Service Data Warehouse on 1 December 2005. Subject to change as more data become available.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
440 c925-6W;440 c925-6W; 34193
Session
2005-06
Subjects
Disease control Livestock Testing Bovine tuberculosis
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk