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Agricultural Policy

My hon. Friend made a good point in the nick of time. Yes, of course he is right. Occasionally we are terrified of trying to strike a balance between science-based policy and the possible political consequences. There is never a bad time to do the right thing. The right thing in this instance is to follow the science. I suspect that the British Veterinary Association concluded with great sadness that the policy recommended by the Government was about right. It was ironic that during our strange debate on circus animals, people recommended the BVA as the science base upon which we should depend, yet when it applies to a different activity, of the sort we are discussing now, people tend to drift away from it. Science is either science or it is not. In this case it is, and I absolutely acknowledge my hon. Friend’s comment. I wanted to put TB on the table so that we did not complete a debate on farming in Wales without referring to it. It has huge consequences that extend well beyond the simple and rather tricky subject of bovine tuberculosis in itself. It has far wider implications, which each and every one of us in this room and beyond is duty bound to address in a sensible and evidence-based manner.