§ Mr. LidingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what health and safety guidance she has given to(a) farmers and (b) veterinary surgeons on the slaughter of heifers found to be infected with bovine TB. [109852]
§ Margaret BeckettIt is standard practice for bovine TB reactors to be removed from farm as quickly as possible and slaughtered at an abattoir by a trained slaughterman. In cases where reactor animals are unfit to travel to a slaughterhouse, arrangements are made for slaughter to be carried out on farm by a knackerman, and for a post-mortem to be carried out by the State Veterinary Service (SVS).
724WAs farmers or veterinary surgeons do not routinely carry out the slaughter of TB reactor animals Defra has not issued specific guidance on this.