§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the proposal made in the latest report of the Independent Scientific Group on bovine tuberculosis regarding a suggest on that farmers should be seeking insurance against bovine tuberculosis breakdowns. [8542]
§ Mr. MorleyThe third report of the Independent Scientific Group noted both compulsory insurance and compulsory levies as two possible future policy options available for transferring the cost of disease compensation from the public purse to the livestock industry. Neither was a proposal.
1273WThey were identified by the group to allow as full a range of potential future policy options as possible to be considered when designing the scientific research programme necessary to underpin consideration of future policy on bovine TB. The chairman's introduction to the report made this clear.
Consideration of whether or not these or other policy options are appropriate for the control of bovine TB will take place when lessons learned from foot and mouth. CSF and the recommendations of the Government Industry Working Party on compensation have been fully evaluated.