§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by county the number of badgers shot and gassed in each year since 1988; and what percentage of those badgers were subsequently shown to have tuberculosis.
§ Mr. AncramIn Northern Ireland badgers are protected by the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and it is illegal for badgers to be shot or gassed. Since the order took effect, no badger has been shot or gassed for disease investigation purposes and there are no records of any illegal shooting or gassing.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research he has carried out into the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in badgers in Northern Ireland; and what evidence he has that badgers are a source of tuberculosis in cattle in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. AncramPast studies based mainly on road casualty badgers indicated that they do not represent a significant factor in the spread of bovine TB. In Northern Ireland there is no evidence that badgers are a major source of TB infection in cattle. It is estimated that badgers are responsible for some 2 per cent. of herd breakdowns at present.