Thank you for contacting me about bovine TB, which is having a devastating effect on many farms and families, including here in Derbyshire. Thousands of cattle are slaughtered each year at huge cost, both financial but also at an emotional cost to farmers, who often find it very distressing to have TB identified amongst their stock. The cost to the taxpayer is over £100 million every year.
In 2018, 45,000 cattle were destroyed because of TB; in 2005, it was fewer than 30,000; some of the highest incidents are in our bordering counties of Staffordshire and Cheshire.
The Government remains committed to using all available means to address the problem and is pursuing a comprehensive Strategy for England to become TB free. Although eradication is our long-term goal, as I know from my discussions with local farmers and Government ministers, Britain needs to take additional action to stop the disease spreading further. No single measure will be enough to tackle TB on its own. Badgers are a significant reservoir for the disease and without taking action to control the disease in them, it will continue to spread. The disease is very unpleasant for the badgers as well as cattle, so there is an animal welfare aspect to this too.
No decision has been announced yet on the locations for culling in 2019. I regret very much that any such action is necessary, but having discussed this with ministers and local farmers, I do believe that it is in the best interests of our wildlife and natural environment in the long term.
18 August 2019