HC Deb 29 April 2004 vol 420 cc1188-90W
Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of the Thornbury trial. [158598]

Mr. Bradshaw

The answer can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the optimum area in which to conduct a badger culling operation is based on the basis of experience from the Krebs trials. [158669]

Mr. Bradshaw

It is not possible to use the results from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial to describe an optimum area in which to conduct a badger culling operation, as this will depend on the local circumstances and the specific effect the operation is intended to achieve.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average duration of a TB2 restriction notice was in(a) 1997 and (b) 2003. [159062]

Mr. Bradshaw

Data for TB2 duration for 1997 are available only at disproportionate cost.

In 2003, the average duration of TB2 restriction notices was 901 days. This includes TB2 restriction notices served on herds where the routine herd test was overdue, as well as notices served on herds with a TB breakdown. Herds with overdue tests were not placed under restrictions in 1997. 1Provisional data downloaded from the State Veterinary Service database on 17 March 2004. This is subject to change, as more data become available.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 December 2003,Official Report, column 539W on badgers, what assessment she has made of the change in size of the total badger population in the Krebs areas since the commencement of the culling of badgers. [159275]

Mr. Bradshaw

DEFRA assessments are based, principally, on surveys of badger activity carried out before and sometime after culling. Analyses of data from the first three triplets to go live indicate that badger activity levels in trial areas have changed consistent with the treatments applied; levels appearing approximately unchanged in survey only areas, somewhat reduced in reactive cull areas and substantially reduced in proactive cull areas. Such data on field signs, however, give only an approximate index of badger numbers, and Defra is funding two projects looking at ways to enable the estimation of badger populations with greater accuracy.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2003,Official Report, column 212W, on bovine tuberculosis, what the lowest estimate is of culling efficiency using traps, experienced in the Krebs trial areas. [159282]

Mr. Bradshaw

Subjective estimates on the efficiency of culling, based on post-cull surveys, have indicated that in the poorest conditions, particularly relating to inclement weather and the season of the year, culling efficiency may be as low as 30 per cent.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answers of 20 November 2003,Official Report, column 1204W, on bovine tuberculosis and 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 212W. what the basis is of her estimate for the efficiency of trapping as a means of badger culling; whether that estimate has been scientifically validated; and what the current estimate is of the efficiency of the culling conducted in the Krebs trial areas. [159284]

Mr. Bradshaw

There is no sure way to estimate badger populations accurately. Post cull surveys provide a subjective indication of the level of badger activity and abundance based on held signs and are carried out by ecologists from the Central Science Laboratory. Evidence from post cull surveys suggests that trapping efficiency can vary between 30 per cent. and 80 per cent., dependent on conditions, season and taking into account a proportion of trap shy animals. Comparisons of initial and two-year surveys show changes in badger activity consistent with the treatments applied. DEFRA is funding research into novel and innovative methods of estimating badger numbers.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from the European Commission on the incidence of TB in cattle in the United Kingdom. [159053]

Mr. Bradshaw

The European Commission has made no representations about the incidence of TB in cattle in Great Britain. The United Kingdom provide detailed information on bovine tuberculosis(Mycobacterium bovis) to the Commission as part of the annual report on trends and sources of Zoonoses and zoonotic agents in animals, feedingstuffs, food and man, under the requirements of EU Directive 92/117.

The Northern Ireland tuberculosis eradication programme has qualified for a financial contribution from the EU. As part of a series of missions to member states with co-financed bovine tuberculosis eradication programmes, a team of EU Field and Veterinary Office (FVO) inspectors visited Northern Ireland during November 2003. Publication of the FVO report of this inspection is awaited.