The Government has estimated that the economic effect of a reasonable worst case scenario outbreak of African Swine Fever could cost the UK up to £90 million at 2019 prices. This total estimate includes costs to the industry of up to £85 million, which reflects the lost value of animals from culling, movement bans and trade restrictions, and costs of up to £5 million for the Government for disease control activities.

While this estimate represents an informed assessment of the potential impact of an outbreak, exact costs would be determined by a large number of factors including geographic location, the husbandry system, epidemiology of the outbreak and whether wildlife was involved.

There is no feral pig code in England.

We have interpreted the term ‘inconclusive test result’ as suspect pig slaughterhouse cases, tested in abattoirs when TB-like lesions are identified. For these ‘inconclusive’ cases, post mortem samples have been taken and processed for bacteriological isolation of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis).

This information is available under the periodical statistics on Gov.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/other-tb-statistics

The average time to obtain results from growing cultures in the laboratory from samples taken from pigs can vary between 42 and 98 days.

APHA’s laboratory IT system does not hold the date the sample was taken. The data provided above has been calculated using the date when the samples were received at the APHA laboratory. This data excludes any incomplete submissions or those currently pending.

The UK has one of the richest native rare breed populations in the world and their importance is recognised at both international and UK levels. We have identified 104 UK native breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs.

To protect our native rare breeds Defra works with the Farm Animal Genetic Resources Committee and the evolved administrations on all rare breed issues, particularly their conservation and sustainable use.

We have:

1. Established an Annual Inventory to provide data on populations of breeds.

2. Published the UK Country Report on Farm Animal Genetic Resources which, in part, outlines conservation plans and priorities for specialist and native breeds.

3. Carried out annual reviews of the lists of Breeds at Risk present in the UK using statistics taken from the Annual Inventory.

4. Created contingency plan guidance for Breeds at Risk in the event of an exotic disease.

Some rare native breeds are also supported through agri-environment schemes. Details on total agreements and value of funding under Defra run schemes, including Environmental Stewardship (HR2) and Countryside Stewardship (SP8) (grazing supplement for rare native breeds), for the years 2015–2018 are:

2015 – 1,454 agreements totalling £2,958,854

2016 – 1,404 agreements totalling £2,832,800

2017 – 1,340 agreements totalling £2,707,668

2018 – 1,310 agreements totalling £2,719,028

The Government is proud of the high food safety and animal welfare standards that underpin our high-quality Great British produce. The UK will maintain its high standards as part of any future free trade agreements.

In the UK, close-confinement stalls for breeding sows have been banned since 1999. The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 requires all sows and gilts to be kept in groups. This protection will continue after we leave the EU.

Soybean meal (SBM) is commonly used in animal feed, including for pigs, to produce high protein feed with favourable attributes, including suitable amino acid profile. In considering alternatives, it is important to have regard to the feed quality profile, as well as cost and availability. We want to ensure our farming industry is competitive, productive and profitable and that our environment is improved for future generations.

Defra has co-funded research with industry to examine UK grown alternatives to SBM in livestock diets. The Green Pig project investigated sustainable alternatives for SBM and looked at environmental consequences of using home-grown legumes as a protein source in pig diets. The project concluded that whilst peas and beans are viable home-grown alternatives to SBM in nutritionally balanced grower and finisher pig diets, costs and other supply chain issues present barriers for wider use.

Defra is continuing to invest in research to improve the productivity, sustainability, resilience and quality of UK grown peas and beans for livestock and human consumption. The Pulse Crop Genetic Improvement Network (PCGIN) provides a platform for the genetic improvement of legume crops in the UK.

Endemic diseases like porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome affect animal health and welfare, as well as productivity. As set out in our 25 Year Environment Plan and the consultation Health and Harmony, the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit, Defra is working with the livestock industry to reduce significantly the impact of these endemic diseases. We are analysing consultation responses and developing proposals.

The Government has no plans to alter or repeal the ban on farmers feeding human food waste to pigs. It is already possible to feed pigs certain food waste originating from food producers, manufacturers and retailers, provided they comprise no prohibited animal by-products. However, the ban on feeding catering waste to pigs needs to stay in place as it can present a serious risk to animal health and has been directly responsible for major notifiable disease outbreaks around the world, including the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak in the UK.

Throughout the UK, monitoring stations for emissions of key pollutants are sited in accordance with criteria set out in the EU Air Quality Directive to ensure results are representative and also comparable across all member states. Monitoring data are available at https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk.

The UK has long recognised the importance of international coordinated action to reduce the environmental damage caused by air pollution. In June this year, the UK (and other EU Member States) began reporting on our monitoring of the impacts of air pollution on ecosystems. This brings together monitoring and modelling data so that we may chart progress in reducing the environmental harm caused by excessive ammonia emissions from agriculture. Policy to address air pollution is devolved. Policy on the control of air pollutants in Northern Ireland is led by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

The DAERA operational policy for the regulation of PPC intensive pig and poultry farms in Northern Ireland includes a screening assessment of the potential impacts of trans-boundary emissions on designated habitats in Ireland. DAERA apply the same screening thresholds with regard to potential impacts on habitats in Ireland as for designated habitats in Northern Ireland. The screening procedures include a precautionary distance criteria, habitat sensitivity based on critical loads and an in-combination assessment. Ammonia concentrations are monitored at three sites across Northern Ireland as part of the National Ammonia Monitoring Network.

In relation to trans-boundary consultations on planning consultations, DAERA recommend that the Planning Authority consults with the Ireland (National Parks and Wildlife Service) if it is considered necessary.

In relation to Environmental Protection Agency permitted facilities in Ireland, DAERA is consulted as the statutory Nature Conservation Body for advice where there is the potential for effects on protected habitats in Northern Ireland.

DAERA is also currently reviewing its approach to ammonia emissions and their impacts, including emissions from pig and poultry production, through its Project on Ammonia Reduction. DAERA is currently working with stakeholders with the aim of developing an Ammonia Action Plan.

The Government is committed to improving animal welfare and, due to our concerns over the use of carbon dioxide in high concentrations for slaughtering pigs, we are jointly funding a research project in this area with the Humane Slaughter Association. Researchers at the University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh are carrying out a two year research project to determine whether Low Atmospheric Pressure Stunning might be a more humane way to stun pigs during commercial slaughter.

The use of carbon dioxide in high concentration for the commercial stunning of pigs is permitted under Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at time of killing. Whilst the UK remains a full member of the EU and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force, the Government will continue to implement and apply EU legislation.

We are committed to maintaining our high animal welfare standards and to keep improving where possible. We have made it clear that as we leave the EU we will maintain and enhance our reputation as a global leader on animal welfare.

Our aim is to get to a point where traditional farrowing crates are obsolete and where any new system protects the welfare of the sow, as well as her piglets. Important steps have been made on the use of free farrowing systems, but more advances are needed before compulsory replacement of farrowing crates can be recommended.

The latest data announced by the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board show that antibiotic use in the pig industry has fallen by 53% from 278 mg/kg in 2015 to 131 mg/kg in 2017.

Defra recognises the progress that has been made and continues to work with the pig industry to implement their target to reduce antibiotic use to 99 mg/kg by 2020. This will be underpinned by improvements in biosecurity, husbandry practices and disease prevention.

Whilst Defra does not collect data directly on the number or size of pig herds, we do collect estimates of the total number of organic pigs and number of holdings with organic pigs in the UK.

The most recent estimate in the UK relates to 2017 data, where there were 58,787 organic pigs across 545 holdings, giving an average of 108 pigs per holding.

Five years prior to this in 2012, there were 34,567 organic pigs across 541 holdings, giving an average of 64 pigs per holding.

The number of live pigs exported to the Republic of Ireland between the years 2012 and 2017 are as follows:

The number of live pigs imported from the Republic of Ireland to the United Kingdom between the years 2012 and 2017 are as follows:

TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System) is a European Commission system employed by EU member states to facilitate and record animal/animal product movements into and throughout the EU.

The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to, and was correct at the time the information was obtained from TRACES. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into TRACES by a third party.

The number of live pigs imported into the UK between the years 2012 and 2017 and their countries of origin are as follows:*

*This excludes data for Republic of Ireland

TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System) is a European Commission system employed by EU member states to facilitate and record animal/animal product movements into and throughout the EU.

The information that we have provided is a true reflection of the information that we have access to, and was correct at the time the information was obtained from TRACES. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data, as we can only rely on the information that has been input into TRACES by a third party.

The number of live pigs exported from the UK between the years 2012 and 2017 and their export destination countries are as follows:

* APHA’s data retention period for non-EU countries Export Health Certification is two years.

**Croatia became a member of the EU on 1 July 2013. No data is available for exports to Croatia in 2012 and from the 1 January to 30 June 2013 as this information is outside APHA’s data retention period.

This excludes data for Republic of Ireland.

The statistics provided for EU Member States show the number of live pigs exported from the United Kingdom in the years 2012 – 2017. TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System) is a European Commission system employed by EU member states to facilitate and record animal/animal product movements into and throughout the EU. This information was provided to APHA by the EU Commission’s DG Sante TRACES Helpdesk due to the unavailability of the TRACES reporting functions.

The statistics provided for non-EU countries, denoted by an asterisk, show the number of live pigs exported from Great Britain to non-EU countries. This information has been collated from APHA’s data records. APHA’s data retention period for Export Health Certification is two years, so the information displayed above is for the years 2016 and 2017 only.

The proposal under the Strategic Review of Charges is to recover fully the cost of permit variation of which 71% relates to Environment Agency (EA) staff costs (this excludes the cost of Defra staff within Defra Corporate Services which provide and charge the EA for the service). Around 9% of the proposed charge relates to IT provision and support, most of which is provided by Defra Corporate Services.

The total charge will accrue to the EA.