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Bovine Tuberculosis

The Government are today announcing new measures to tackle bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle in England. These include:"A 12 week public consultation on the control of badgers to reduce the disease in high incidence areas.""The introduction of a requirement for the pre-movement testing of cattle to reduce cattle to cattle spread. This will apply to cattle over 15 months of age moving from one and two year tested herds.""Changes to compensation arrangements that will bring into line payments for bovine TB and three other cattle diseases." The consultation on badger culling follows the publication yesterday of results from the ““Randomised Badger Culling Trials””. It also follows a cost benefit analysis by DEFRA of a number of badger culling options, drawing on the evidence of the trials carried out in Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The Government continue to pursue the development of potential bovine TB vaccines for both cattle and badgers. We are also planning to extend the use of the gamma interferon test to improve diagnosis of TB in cattle. The Government are also announcing the setting up of a new independent stakeholder group to provide advice on bovine TB policy. Copies of all the relevant documents have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.