Bovine TB: The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB
| The ISG Secretariat has closed and the mailbox 'isgsecretariat@defra.gsi.gov.uk' has been withdrawn. All questions relating to the work of the ISG should be directed to: Defra, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR (telephone 08459 33 55 77). |
The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) was a group of independent scientists who advised the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how best to tackle the problem of cattle TB.
For ease of administration, this ISG section of the Defra website is organised by Defra officials, but this in no way alters the validity of the preceding statement on the independence of the ISG, who were solely responsible for its content.
On 18 June 2007 the ISG published their Final Report to Ministers, concluding the ISG's work on the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT). As a consequence, the ISG was dissolved on 30 June 2007.
The ISG website will be retained by Defra at this location for the foreseeable future, as part of the ISG’s formal archive of papers relating to their work on the RBCT and ancillary activities. An archive of the ISG site is also available on The National Archives website.
ISG reports 1998 - 2007
- Final report (PDF 2.5 MB) - June 2007
- Fifth Report (PDF 48 KB) - January 2006
- Fourth report (PDF 715 KB) - February 2005
- Third report (PDF 535 KB) - August 2001
- Second report - (PDF 540 KB) - December 1999
- First report (PDF 200 KB) - July 1998
ISG news archive
29 July 2008 – Analysis of cattle TB incidence in RBCT areas has continued following the cessation of culling. The published paper is now available (links to external website).
29 July 2008 - The note of a meeting held between former members of the ISG and the former Government Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir David King to discuss badgers and bovine TB in cattle, held on Thursday 13 December 2007 at the Government Office for Science is now available. A covering letter (PDF 50KB) is also available. Correspondence between ex-members of the ISG and EFRA Select Committee is available via the Committee's website.
4 December 2007 - Former members of the ISG have responded (PDF) (398 KB) to a report by the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King, assessing the scientific evidence relating to TB in badgers and cattle (PDF) (104 KB). A covering letter (PDF) (13 KB) is also available. The former ISG members have also responded to questions posed by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (PDF) (28 KB).
30 July 2007 - A list of the 1,723 papers (PDF) (570 KB) prepared for discussion and a record of the 103 formal ISG Meetings from February 1998 to May 2007, and the Group’s 5 Open Meetings, is available. Requests for copies of the papers listed will be handled in line with the access to information legislation, and may be refused if it is considered that responding to the requests would cause a significant diversion of the Department's resources. A fee may be payable to cover administrative costs. Papers that contain scientific manuscripts that are in press, or have yet to be submitted for publication, will not be released until the papers are published in the scientific press.
3 July 2007 - The Minutes of the ISG's last two Open Meetings (London on 19 June 2007, Cardiff on 21 June 2007) are available here.
30 June 2007 - The Independent Scientific Group has been dissolved.
18 June 2007 - The final report (PDF) (2.5 MB). Please note this is a large file) of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG), presented to the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, is available here. A press release (PDF 19 KB) is also available.
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Page last modified:
February 2, 2009