HC Deb 29 March 1985 vol 76 cc401-2W
Mr. Soames

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence he has that badgers are carriers of bovine tuberculosis.

Mrs. Fenner

[pursuant to her reply, 28 March 1985]: Post mortem examinations of badgers taken in official investigations have revealed evidence of infection by bovine tuberculosis in over 1,500 animals. Tubercular lesions have frequently been found in lymphatic glands and in the lungs and occasionaly in the kidneys and other organs. Mycobacterium bovis has been isolated from all these sites and from samples of sputum, faeces and bite wound pus. Details of these studies have been published in appropriate scientific journals.

Mr. Soames

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many badgers were killed in each of the last three years under the anti bovine tuberculosis campaign.

Mrs. Fenner

[pursuant to her reply, 28 March 1985]: The numbers of badgers taken in official investigations are as follows:

  • 1982—1,005
  • 1983—1,239
  • 1984—1,333 (provisional)
The figure for 1982 excludes badgers killed by gassing before the suspension of gassing in June of that year.

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