Controlling the disease – the Government’s approach
The Government is committed to a comprehensive and balanced approach to tackling bovine TB, with eradication as the long-term goal, but this is likely to take several decades. Our first aim is to stop the disease getting worse and then to reduce the spread and prevalence of the disease to a point where eradication becomes an achievable goal. Cattle measures will remain central to the Government’s approach, which needs to be comprehensive, risk-based and staged.
Bovine TB Eradication Programme for England
On 19 January 2012 the Secretary of State announced that the two pilot areas for 2012 will be West Gloucestershire and West Somerset, subject to Natural England’s decisions on licence applications:
- Pilot areas confirmed (News release)
- Written Ministerial Statement (Parliament website, PDF)
On 14 December 2011 the Secretary of State announced the go ahead for controlled culling of badgers as part of the package of measures to tackle bovine TB. The approach will be piloted in two areas in 2012. Further information:
- News release
- Policy document: The Government’s policy on bovine TB and badger control in England
- Guidance to Natural England: Licences to kill or take badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB
- Responses to the consultation on Guidance to Natural England on the Implementation and Enforcement of a Badger Control Policy, launched on 19 July 2011
- Impact Assessment
- Ecological Impact Assessment
On 19 July 2011, the Bovine TB Eradication Programme for England was launched. It sets out a comprehensive and balanced package of measures to tackle TB in cattle, badgers and other animals:
UK TB Eradication Plan
The European Commission has granted the UK up to €23 million of EU funding towards the TB surveillance and control programmes during 2011. This will contribute to the cost of skin testing, gamma interferon blood testing and compensation under the UK Bovine TB Eradication Plan for 2011. See:
- TB Eradication Plan 2011 (PDF 7 MB – this European Commission document has been scanned)
- European Commission Decision approving the eradication plans (PDF 1MB)
Bovine TB Compliance and Enforcement Priorities
Ministers have agreed a number of priorities for improving compliance with and enforcement of the controls in place to tackle bovine TB in England. See: