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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of changes to the geographical incidence of reported cases of bovine TB in herds in the last five years; and what impact this has had on the deployment of her Department's bovine TB testing and control resources. [53205] Mr. Morley: In the last five years the known higher incidence areas, such as Cornwall, Devon and Gloucestershire in the south and west of England and south and mid-Wales, have seen increases in the number of incidents of bovine TB. In addition to these, new areas of infection have been identified in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The restart of TB testing after the foot and mouth disease outbreak has disclosed an increase in incidents in the areas with higher incidence of bovine TB. Outside of these areas it is not yet clear whether the scattered incidents come from movement of infected cattle or new foci of disease. As herds with bovine TB are identified greater veterinary resource is targeted to testing herds in the surrounding area, usually on a parish basis. Currently the greatest deployment of state veterinary resource on bovine TB testing is to be found in the parishes of the south and west of England and the south and west Wales. Most routine TB testing is carried out on behalf of the State Veterinary Service by local veterinary practitioners employed as local veterinary inspectors (LVIs).

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

53205; 384 c943W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Staff Diagnosis Disease control Location State Veterinary Service Testing Veterinary services Bovine tuberculosis

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk