Bovine TB

HC Deb 23 July 2004 vol 424 cc797-800W

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether reported incidence of bovine TB in(a) 2002 and (b) 2003 offer a secure statistical baseline against which differences in incidence in 2004 may be measured. [184694]

Mr. Bradshaw

TB testing was all but suspended during the foot and inouth disease (FMD) outbreak in 2001 and did not fully recover to pre-FMD levels until February 2002. The effect of this suspension of testing on the underlying trends in TB incidence for 2001 and subsequent years is hard to gauge, for the following reasonsThe TB testing effort in 2002 was initially aimed at high-risk herds. Disease would have had more time to spread in herds where normally it might have been detected more quickly. Restocking of herds after FMD led to the disease being spread to areas it had not been found for some time. The level of testing in 2002 and 2003 required to clear the backlog was much higher than normal (the backlog was reduced to pre-FMD level by spring 2003).

The trends seen in TB herd incidence and number of reactors slaughtered in 2001 and 2002 should, therefore, be treated with caution and are probably not comparable with those of earlier years. TB incidence rates and testing patterns for 2003 and 2004 appear to have settled down enough to make valid comparisons with pre-FMD trends.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the average costs to UK dairy farmers of providing biosecurity to ensure complete separation of cattle and badgers. [184808]

Mr. Bradshaw

Defra has not carried out an assessment of the cost of complete separation. These will vary significantly from farm to farm. Improving biosecurity provides a range of benefits for many diseases. The measures that are taken should be based on a risk assessment approach and the costs of any specific measure balanced against its likely benefits. Complete separation of wildlife and farmed livestock may not be either practical or cost effective, but farmers should consider what measures they can take to reduce the interaction of wildlife with their animals.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidelines her Department(a) issues and (b) plans to issue to secure full biosecurity of grazing pastures in order to ensure complete separation of cattle and badgers. [184809]

Mr. Bradshaw

Complete biosecurity is seldom possible where wildhfe is concerned, but farmers are advised to minimise contact between their cattle and wildlife. Currently advice is issued to farmers in the form of the booklet "TB in cattle: reducing the risk." Advice to individual farms that suffer a TB breakdown will normally be offered by a Veterinary Officer of the State Veterinary Service.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidelines her Department issues on when it is appropriate to carry out a survey to establish the adequacy of biosecurity measures on a working farm. [184810]

Mr. Bradshaw

There are no specific Departmental guidelines setting out advice on the conduct of surveys to establish the adequacy of biosecurity measures on a working farm.

The Department has published advice on biosecurity—Better Biosecurity Provides Peace of Mind, Healthy Stock and a More Viable Business, and through the Codes of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock for specific species, which while primarily concerned with welfare, also provide guidance on biosecurity issues. These Codes support the statutory requirements under the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000, that animals shall be cared for by a sufficient number of staff who possess the appropriate ability, knowledge and professional competence. The Codes give clear recommendations on biosecurity measures and the need for written health and welfare plans, prepared with the farmer's veterinary surgeon and, where necessary, other technical advisers. Farm assurance schemes may require evidence of such health and welfare plans when auditing farms.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the effects on badger population levels should the farming community succeed in securing complete biosecurity of their farms and crops and excluding badgers from these area; [184811]

Mr. Bradshaw

While no formal assessments have been made, research currently under way at the Central Science Laboratory suggests that badgers exploit growing crops (mainly cereals) close to or at maturity, especially during extended dry periods. Also, they may feed on poorly-stored farm feeds at all times of the year, but particularly during extended dry periods. These represent times When the badgers' natural food sources are of very limited availability and when badger mortality may otherwise be higher.

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the change in incidence of bovine TB in cattle is when compared against a baseline of incidence in 1999. [184812]

Mr. Bradshaw

The incidence of TB in cattle herds in Great Britain in 1999, measured as the percentage of tests on unrestricted herds resulting in a confirmed breakdown, was 2.3 per cent. In 2003, the (provisional) incidence was 3.5 per cent. In absolute terms, this represents an increase in herd incidence for Great Britain of 1.2 percentage points.

Source:

National Statistics

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies her Department has undertaken of the extent to which the level of bovine TB in cattle reported on the Somerset levels is attributable to the population density of badgers in the same area. [184813]

Mr. Bradshaw

There are no data on the relationship between badger population density and the incidence of TB in cattle, nor are there any published data on the density of badger populations at a county scale. The National Badger Survey reports on estimated badger numbers at a regional level (eg the south-west). Although there are certainly areas of Somerset that are not ideal badger country, it is not possible to categorically state that badger density in Somerset is significantly lower than elsewhere in the south-west.

Since 1997 until earlier this year, investigation of the prevalence of TB in wild badgers has been restricted to the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and the Road Traffic Accident survey of badgers found dead in seven counties (Somerset is not one of the counties selected for this survey). The trial will provide some information on badger numbers within the triplet areas, which could be related to cattle herd breakdown rates. However, badger density estimates may not be very reliable even in trial areas (they would be based on trapping returns and field survey information). This year, an additional limited survey of badgers found dead in Cumbria is being undertaken.

Part of the recent consultation on Defra's proposed short term strategy incorporated surveillance of badgers found dead in emerging TB hotspots (the concept of an emerging hotspot is explained in Chapter 5.3 of the consultation document "Preparing for a new GB strategy on bovine tuberculosis" which was published in February 2004).

Mr. Paterson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive results from the Irish trials into Bovine TB. [185195]

Mr. Bradshaw

Defra officials are in regular contact with officials from the Republic of Ireland, and they have undertaken to inform me as soon as a publication date is known.

Paul Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of deer as a potential source of infection for bovine TB. [185609]

Mr. Bradshaw

A recently published report by the Central Science Laboratory funded by Defra confirmed the presence ofMycobacterium bovis (the causative organism for bovine tuberculosis) in a number of wildlife species. Bovine TB was found in five out of the six deer species in Great Britain, including, for the first time, muntjac deer.

The report adds to the body of evidence on TB in wildlife, but it is not clear what level of risk deer pose as a potential source of bovine TB infection in cattle. Defra is currently considering what future research is required in this area.