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Badger Culling
21 March 2022
Lead MP
Nicholas Fletcher
Responding Minister
Jo Churchill
Tags
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Word Count: 9858
Other Contributors: 7
At a Glance
Nicholas Fletcher raised concerns about badger culling in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The lead MP asks whether the Government can ensure there are no delays in approving vaccines and accurate tests for cattle once research studies conclude. He also questions if badger culling can be carried out more humanely, reflecting an improved attitude towards animal welfare as per the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The policy of badger culling has caused considerable controversy since its announcement. Anti-cull campaigners believe that it is cruel and ineffective, citing a peer review study which found no difference in bovine tuberculosis rates inside and outside cull zones. Despite this, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and farmers argue that culling is an important part of England's strategy to achieve official bovine tuberculosis-free status by 2038.
Bill Wiggin
Con
Hereford and South Herefordshire
I support the Government's 25-year eradication strategy for TB, but believe it should be sooner. I highlighted the necessity of culling to stop illegal activities that can spread disease through perturbation. The evidence shows a significant reduction in confirmed breakdowns and animal slaughters since the introduction of badger culling. In response to concerns about badger population loss, he pointed out that cattle and badgers are predominantly found in the western part of the UK where TB is prevalent. The aim is to protect uninfected areas rather than focusing on overall population reduction. Questions if 2025 is feasible for implementing Labour's policy, mentions East Sussex as a potential test site but not an alternative to culling regime. Asks about the DIVA test and cattle vaccination timeline.
Chris Loder
Con
West Dorset
Emphasised the work of the Government in addressing bovine tuberculosis and protecting farmers, noting that while the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 prohibits shooting badgers, licences can be issued for culling in specific circumstances. Stressed the importance of eradicating TB completely from both badgers and cows and stopping intensive culling as a result.
Daniel Zeichner
Lab
Cambridge
Mr Zeichner discussed the differing views on badger culling, emphasizing that everyone wants to eradicate bovine TB. He cited DEFRA and Welsh Government figures showing median costs of £6,600 for cattle farmers with up to 300 herds, rising to £18,600 for larger farms. The MP questioned the effectiveness of badger culling in controlling bovine TB, citing a rise in culled badgers from around parity in 2014 to four in five in 2020. He also raised concerns about the inhumane treatment of badgers during shooting and asked why vaccinated badgers are sometimes shot as part of the cull.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon supports the control of badgers to protect dairy and beef sectors from bovine TB, citing losses due to weekly cow slaughters in Northern Ireland. He highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy cattle population alongside wildlife and urges for urgent action based on successful interventions observed in England. Emphasised that culling badgers can provide economic benefits by protecting cattle and preventing job losses in the sector. He urged for protective measures to be implemented even if it means culling. Thanks Minister for positive response on charting a way forward and asks if she has spoken to devolved Administrations, particularly Edwin Poots, about the subject.
Lisa Cameron
SNP
East Dunbartonshire
The hon. Gentleman is aware that the Badger Trust has been calling for significant investment in cattle vaccination for over a decade, and feels that delays have led to unnecessary loss of badgers' lives.
Mike Amesbury
Lab
Chesterfield
Mr Amesbury highlighted the Cheshire badger vaccination programme (CBVP), which vaccinates badgers to protect cattle from bovine TB. He noted that culling costs £6 million annually and each badger killed costs £1,000 compared to £82 for vaccination. Amesbury stressed the need to find a humane solution protecting both cattle and wildlife welfare. In Cheshire, farmers, landowners, volunteers and the general public support vaccination efforts, which is a crucial mix for the programme.
Robert Goodwill
Con
Hindmarsham
If we had a vaccine that differentiated between vaccinated animals and infected ones, the policy would stand up. However, until such a vaccine exists, culling remains necessary to control bovine tuberculosis. Disappointed that the oral vaccine DEFRA was keen to roll out proved unpalatable due to its abrasiveness, leaving trapping and vaccinating badgers as the only option. Suggests some badgers are too clever to get caught consistently.
Government Response
Jo Churchill
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Don Valley (Nick Fletcher) for bringing forward the debate and all other Members who participated. Bovine TB continues to be both emotive and controversial, but it is not disputed that badgers are implicated in its spread and persistence. Badger culling has led to a significant reduction in bovine TB, but we aim to replace it with vaccination and disease surveillance measures. The Government have invested over £40 million in vaccines and tests, aiming for a deployable cattle vaccine by 2025. Funding of £2.27 million was awarded in 2021 for a five-year badger vaccination programme in east Sussex. The strategy includes routine testing of herds, movement restrictions on infected herds, rapid detection and removal of positive cattle, and statutory testing of cattle. Over the last year, more than 27,000 individual head of cattle were compulsorily slaughtered to control the disease. Measures are being developed to make it simpler for those who are suitably trained to start vaccinating badgers, aiming to eradicate bovine TB in England by 2038.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.