§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department has spent on research into bovine tuberculosis in each of the last five years. [31743]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe amount spent on research into bovine tuberculosis in the current financial year and in each of the last four years is set out in the following table:
- 1991–92: £1,076,000
- 1992–93: £922,200
- 1993–94: £1,071,544
- 1994–95: £1,288,642
- 1995–96: £1,467,368
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many individual reactors to the cattle tuberculosis skin test in each English county or region have been slaughtered in each of the last five years; and how many of those had visible lesions post mortem. [31739]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe number of confirmed reactors to the cattle tuberculosis skin test in each English county which have been slaughtered in each of the last five years are given in the table. The figures in brackets give the number of reactors slaughtered which had visible lesions at post mortem.
130W
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 Northern region Cumbria 62(61) 2(2) 12(8) 1(1) — Durnham/Tyne and Wear/Clevedon/ Northumberland 2(2) — 3(2) 1(1) 7(7) North Yorkshire — 1(1) 4(0) — — Humberside — — 1(1) — — Midlands and west Cheshire 2(2) — — — 1(1) Nott and Derbyshire — — — — 1(1) Hereford and Worcester 1(0) — 2(2) 12(10) 83(68) Lancashire 2(1) — 2(1) 1(0) 1(0) Leicester — — 2(0) 1(0) 1(1) West Midlands — — 3(2) 2(0) — South west Cornwall 92(90) 137(129) 126(119) 277(261) 351(348) Devon 62(58) 42(26) 100(99) 99(89) 189(167) Glos and Avon 62(52) 57(48) 120(106) 175(161) 214(188) Dorset 4(3) 12(12) 5(5) 21(19) 19(13) Somerset — — — 65(57) 15(13) Wilts 4(3) 45(41) 60(59) 89(83) 60(59) South east Oxford 1(0) — — 3(2) 2(1) Hants/IOW — 2(1) — — — Kent 14(11) 6(6) 2(2) — 3(3)
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 Eastern Lincoln — — — 1(0) — Huntingdon — — — — —
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, of what alternative methods to the present skin test for identifying tuberculosis in cattle his Department is aware. [31741]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe Department is involved in work in the central veterinary laboratory and also monitors work elsewhere on the development and assessment of alternative forms of testing for tuberculosis in cattle. None of the alternative serological test being explored, including the gamma interferon test recently trialled in Northern Ireland, is yet sufficiently developed to provide a realistic alternative to the intradermal skin test. However, the Department is currently evaluating the potential use of these tests in conjunction with the interdermal skin test in the field.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many herds in each English county or region have tested positively for tuberculosis in each of the last five years. [31737]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe information is not available in the form requested. However, the number of herds in which cattle tested positive for bovine tuberculosis in each of the Department's administrative areas in each of the last five years were:
131W
Year(s) in which cases occurred Number of herds Berkshire/Buckinghamshire/Oxon 1990 1 1993 2 1994 2 Cheshire 1990 1 1994 1 Cornwall 1990 38 1991 51 1992 49 1993 82 1994 106 Cumbria 1990 9 1991 1 1992 3 1993 1 Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire 1994 1 Devon 1990 26 1991 12 1992 20 1993 46 1994 75 Dorset 1990 4 1991 4 1992 3 1993 8 1994 2
Year(s) in which cases occurred Number of herds Durham/Tyne and Weir/Cleveland/Northumbria 1990 2 1992 2 1993 1 1994 2 Gloucestershire and Avon 1990 34 1991 17 1992 37 1993 64 1994 63 Hampshire 1991 1 Hereford/Worcester 1992 1 1993 4 1994 12 Humberside 1992 1 Kent and East Sussex 1990 8 1991 3 1994 1 Lancashire/Merseyside 1990 1 1992 1 1993 1 1994 1 Leicestershire 1992 2 1993 1 1994 1 Lincolnshire 1993 1 Northamptonshire 1990 1 Somerset 1993 14 1994 7 Sussex West 1991 1 Warwickshire and West Midlands 1992 2 1993 1 Wiltshire 1990 2 1991 7 1992 9 1993 18 1994 21 Yorkshire North 1991 1 1992 4
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department has paid out in compensation for cattle slaughtered as positive reactors or dangerous contacts in each English county or region in each of the last five years. [31742]
§ Mrs. BrowningThe information is not available in the form requested. However, the amount of compensation paid for cattle slaughtered as positive reactors and dangerous contacts in England in each of the last five years was:
- 1990: £812,221
- 1991: £526,259
- 1992: £683,830
132 - 1993: £1,361,728
- 1994: £1,670,664
§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest figures for the number of cattle infected with tuberculosis shown by his Department's administrative areas for each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement. [30244]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 22 June 1995]: Bovine tuberculosis is confirmed in cattle on the basis of culture or the discovery of visible lesions. The number of cattle with confirmed bovine tuberculosis in each of the Department's administrative areas in England for each year since 1990 and for the first three months of 1995 were:
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Northern Region Cumbria 62 3 12 1 — — Durham/Tyne and Wear 2 — 3 1 7 3 Clevedon/Northumberland North Yorkshire — 1 4 — — — Humberside — — 1 — — — Midlands and West Cheshire 2 — — — 1 1 Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire — — — — 1 — Hereford and Worcester 1 — 2 12 83 23 Lancashire 2 — 2 1 1 — Leicester — — 2 1 1 — West Midlands — — 3 2 — — South West Cornwall 92 137 133 277 351 178 Devon 62 42 100 99 189 60 Gloucestershire and Avon 62 57 120 175 214 130 Dorset 4 12 5 21 19 1 Somerset — — — 65 15 19 Wiltshire 4 45 60 89 60 14 South East Oxford 1 — — 3 2 — Hampshire/IOW — 2 — — — — Kent 14 6 2 — 3 14 Eastern Lincoln — — — 1 — 3 Huntingdon — — — — — 1 The increasing incidence of bovine tuberculosis in the south-west of England is a matter of concern both for the Department and for the farmers involved. It is hoped the five-year trial of a badger control strategy based on the use of a live test for tuberculosis in badgers, which started last winter, will alleviate the problem. Work is also under way to develop alternative solutions for the longer term, including the development of a vaccine for badgers.