HL Deb 09 May 2003 vol 647 cc153-4WA
Baroness Byford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What arrangements they have in place for the collection and disposal of (a) infected badger carcasses, and (b) wild animals killed on roads. [HL2695]

Lord Whitty

It is unlikely that it would be possible to tell whether a badger carcass was infected with bovine TB. The presence of the bovine TB causative organism (M. bovis) is established by post-mortem examination and the bacteriological culture of samples.

The EU Animal By-Products Regulation, which applied in member states from 1 May, requires, among other things, that wild animals suspected of being infected with diseases communicable to humans and animals, such as bovine TB, are disposed of at an approved plant using one of the following methods:

  1. (1) incineration;
  2. (2) rendering followed by incineration; or
  3. (3) pressure rendering followed by landfill.

Trading standards, who enforce the regulation, have received guidance notes and training on the new rules. In addition, information on the disposal of animal carcasses is available on the Defra website, at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/by-prods/default.htm., and from local Defra animal health offices.

Carcasses, or parts of carcasses, of wild animals will be exempt from the scope of the Animal By-Products Regulation unless they are thought to be diseased or are used to produce game trophies. Although the regulation places them under no legal obligation, owners of property on which there are dead wild animals are advised to contact their local authority for advice on appropriate disposal methods.

In addition, on advice from the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG), a limited Road Traffic Accident (RTA) survey of badger carcasses is being conducted in seven counties in England (Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Dorset). The objective of the survey is to determine, with the ISG's help, if RTA data can provide an accurate indication of the prevalence of M. bovis in badgers by comparing it with the data from the randomised badger-culling trial.

If farmers in the counties listed above find a badger carcass on their land they can contact the survey co-ordinators, Central Science Laboratory (CSL), using a freephone number, to arrange collection. Precise details of the location of the carcass will need to be provided.