§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest estimate of the loss or damage caused to livestock by badgers during the last five years.
§ Mr. StrangWe have no evidence that badgers are causing any material loss or 21W damage of this kind other than in limited areas of south-west England, where a clear connection has been established between the incidence of tuberculosis in badgers and its scale and persistence among cattle. I regret that the related loss or damage cannot be estimated with any degree of accuracy.