§ Lord Houghton of Sowerbyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the position reached in the programme to destroy badgers as the principal means of combating bovine tuberculosis.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)There is not and never has been a programme to destroy badgers. The principal means of combating bovine tuberculosis always has been and remains regular tuberculin testing of the national cattle herd and the slaughter of reactor animals. As part of the Government's bovine tuberculosis eradication programme it has proved necessary to destroy badgers in those few areas where tuberculous badgers pose a threat to cattle. This policy was endorsed by Lord Zuckerman, who also recommended that it should be reviewed after three years. That review is now taking place.
§ Lord Houghton of Sowerbyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking arising from the discovery of bovine tuberculosis near Eastbourne.
§ Lord BelsteadForty-eight badgers, including one road traffic casualty, were taken during the control operation near Eastbourne last year. Of those, eleven badgers (23 per cent.) were found to be infected with bovine tuberculosis at post-mortem. Cattle in the area are being closely monitored for evidence of disease. The situation remains under review.
§ Lord Houghton of Sowerbyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there are any activities planned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which threaten the existence of badgers on Dartmoor.
§ Lord BelsteadNo Government, now or in the past, has ever planned activities anywhere in this country which threaten the existence of the badger.