§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is the Government's intention to remove all badgers in the proactive areas of the badger culling trials. [93740]
§ Ms QuinThe Government neither intend nor expect to remove all badgers in the proactive areas of the badger culling trial. Given the operational constraints deliberately imposed on welfare grounds—principally restricting the method of capture to cage trapping, and limiting the capture period—the Independent Scientific Group established that around 80 per cent. of the badgers in an area could be captured. In other words, one fifth of the badger population would be expected to remain in place. The statistical experts in the Scientific Group have designed the trial specifically to take account of such factors, and are satisfied that the results it yields will be robust.