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Economic Downturn (Unemployment)

I had not planned to do so but am happy to. Bovine TB is clearly a serious issue, and I represent a semi-rural constituency in Somerset, so I know that that exercises the minds of many farmers and other people. It also exercises the minds of many animal welfare people, who have strong views on the subject and suggest that culling is inappropriate. I think that DEFRA has taken the right line by looking at inoculation, but I accept that an ongoing dialogue is needed because we have to examine carefully how that works and how it will be assessed. We will, of course, consider what happens in Wales in the light of the proposed culling there.