§ Mr. Marlandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he intends to define the problem areas for the purposes of badger control operations as envisaged in the Dunnet report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonMy right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales have recently given thought to those recommendations in Professor Dunnet's report relating to the definition of areas in which there has been a recent history of herd breakdowns attributed to infected badgers, where we would propose to undertake badger removal operations automatically in the event of future otherwise unexplained herd breakdowns.
With the benefit of advice from the consultative panel we have defined the 183 parishes listed, mainly in the south-west of England, within which such control action would take place. However, as we have previously made clear, such control action would be limited to at most the area of the breakdown farm and would only be initiated once all other possible non-badger origins of infection had been investigated and ruled out. Outside the "problem" parishes, as Professor Dunnet recommends, control operations would only proceed with the prior agreement of the consultative panel.
My right hon. Friends have also considered the need to retain statutory powers to kill badgers in the problem areas. Taking account of the control strategy now in place we are not convinced of the case for retention of these powers and believe that, without risk to the wider TB eradication programme, it will be possible for future badger control operations to proceed by voluntary 886W agreement with the occupiers of the land concerned. We therefore intend to revoke the Badgers (Control Areas) Order 1977.
List of parishes with a recent history of cattle herds with Tuberculosis breakdowns of badger origin
SOUTH WEST REGION
Avon
- Batheaston
- Bathford
- Borough of Bath
- Charlcombe
- Cold Ashton
- Cromhall
- Dodington
- English Combe
- Hawkesbury Horton
- Little Sodbury
- Priston
- St. Catherine
- Sodbury
- Tickenham
- Tortworth
- Wickwar
- Winterbourne
- Wraxall
Cornwall
- Blisland
- Breage
- Callington
- Calstock
- Camborne
- Camelford
- Cardinham
- Carn Brea
- Constantine
- Crowan
- Cury
- Duloe
- Egloskerry
- Feock
- Helland
- Jocobstow
- Kea
- Kenwyn
- Kilkhampton
- Lanlivery
- Lanner
- Lanreath
- Lanteglos
- Lesnewth
- Linkinhorne
- Lidgvan
- Mabe
- Madron
- Michaelstow
- Morvah
- Morwenstowe
- Mullion
- N. Petherwin
- Otterham
- Paul
- Penzanze
- Perran Abuloe
- Poundstock
- Quethiock
- Redruth
- Roche
- St. Breock
- St. Buryan
- St. Erme
- St. Gennys
- St. Gluvias
- St. Hilary
- St. Iye
- St. Just
- St. Levan
- St. Mabyn