§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements are in place for TB testing of farmed deer; and whether such testing is compulsory. [158288]
§ Mr. BradshawThere is no routine statutory TB testing programme for farmed deer. All TB testing of deer, apart from that for imported animals, is carried out at the owner's expense. Arrangements for testing are made between herd owners and their veterinary surgeons.
The Tuberculosis (Deer) Order 1989, as amended, makes TB in deer a notifiable disease. The owner or person in charge of deer is required to notify the presence of affected or suspected animals to the Divisional Veterinary Manager (DVM) of the State 437W Veterinary Service. Under these circumstances the DVM may require testing of the deer, at the owner's expense.