§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards badgers.
§ Mr. RyderThe welfare of badgers as a protected species is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, while the Badgers Act is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. However, I am required under section 9 of the Badgers Act (as amended by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) to deal with applications to take badgers which are causing serious damage to land, crops, poultry or other forms of property. The Government's policy for dealing with badgers to control tuberculosis in cattle is that recommended by Professor Dunnet following his review in 1986. Action taken against badgers is limited to those farms where badgers have been implicated in a tuberculosis breakdown in cattle and consists of trapping and humanely killing the badgers, except those identified as lactating sows, which are released unharmed. In both such cases damage to agriculture has to be demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt before action is authorised.