Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Badger Culling — [Peter Dowd in the Chair]

13 July 2022 · 2 other contributors · 3,303 words

Opened by Tracey Crouch Con Chatham and Aylesford

Responding minister: Victoria Prentis

Environment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Tracey Crouch raised concerns about badger culling — [peter dowd in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Speaker is concerned about the indiscriminate killing of over 150,000 badgers since 2014.
  • Speaker highlights public opposition to the badger cull, citing e-petitions with 141,000 signatures.
  • Speaker argues for prioritizing badger vaccination efforts over culling to address bovine TB.

Key requests to Government

The speaker asks the Minister to confirm whether there has been evidence of movement in the early stages of the badger vaccination trial. She also requests updates on research studies for a candidate cattle vaccine and improved skin tests, with an ambition to introduce them within five years. Additionally, she urges the Department to support farmers with costs for enhanced testing techniques that are more sensitive than traditional skin tests.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Tracey Crouch Con Chatham and Aylesford

The speaker is concerned about the indiscriminate killing of over 150,000 badgers since the first two operational culling zones opened in 2014. She highlights public opposition to the cull, as evidenced by e-petitions with signatures totaling 141,000. The speaker also acknowledges the financial and emotional pain caused by bovine tuberculosis (TB) for farmers but argues that vaccination efforts should be prioritized over culling. She mentions a large-scale badger vaccination trial in East Sussex involving an annual target of vaccinating 675 badgers across 250 sq km.

Other contributors (2)
  • Caroline Lucas Green Brighton Pavilion

    Congratulates Tracey Crouch on securing the debate and agrees that the government should fund both cattle vaccination and a larger programme of badger vaccination to provide evidence for farmers. I appreciate the Minister's points about vaccination but believe it is probably better than culling. Caroline asks for clarification on the criteria for reserving the right to continue the badger cull beyond 2025 in certain epidemiologically important conditions, expressing concern over potential misuse of this loophole.

  • Matt Rodda Lab Reading Central

    Offers support for the debate, highlighting the importance of badgers for biodiversity and expressing concerns about culling based on discussions with former DEFRA colleagues who have deep reservations about it. I am pleased to hear that the Minister and DEFRA are working with the Welsh Labour Government and that there can be a process of learning from how they have moved on from culling. I appreciate the economic pressures that farmers are under at this very difficult time.

Government Response

Victoria Prentis

It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd, and to participate in this important debate secured by my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford. The Government acknowledges that bovine tuberculosis (TB) represents a significant threat to the cattle industry, with over 26,000 cattle being compulsorily slaughtered in England over the past year alone to control the disease. The Minister highlighted the role of badgers in spreading TB, noting evidence from the Downs study which suggests that badger culling has led to a reduction in BTB in certain areas. However, she stressed that there is no single solution to the problem and that the Government remains open-minded about how to tackle it, working closely with devolved Administrations and scientists to explore potential solutions. The Minister emphasised the importance of vaccinating cattle as a long-term goal, noting that trials for a test to distinguish vaccinated cows from those infected are ongoing. She stated that the aim is to have a real vaccine for cattle ready by 2025. In addition to vaccination, the Animal and Plant Health Agency now has 28 full-time badger vaccinators working hard to reduce TB in badgers. The Government introduced a simplified licence to ease the administrative burden on those wishing to vaccinate badgers. The Minister acknowledged that there are challenges with culling and vaccinating badgers, but she affirmed that these remain important tools in tackling BTB. She noted the decline of bovine TB in high-incidence areas and highlighted ongoing efforts to improve biosecurity on farms and when trading, as well as strengthening cattle testing and movement controls.

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