| Bovine TB has been, at least until very recently, a growing problem in the United Kingdom. It is a disease which not only brings suffering to animals but adversely affects farmers in economic and other terms.
If culling badgers, held to be at the root of the problem, is Government's 'Plan A', in this inquiry we looked primarily at the measures which might make up a 'Plan B' response to the problem. Our focus has been vaccination of cattle and badgers; the gamma interferon test; husbandry; trace elements; and the lessons to be learnt from Ireland. We have reviewed developments in all these areas, and have made recommendations about these aspects of 'Plan B'.
Our conclusion is that a decision about culling badgers must await the outcome of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial. But there are a number of promising steps forward that might be taken now. We recommend that
- Government move quickly to testing vaccination in badgers
- assessment of the gamma interferon test is completed urgently, and the Government should pay incentives to farmers to recruit them to the current field trial
- if the gamma interferon test proves efficacious it should be adopted, and policy should be adapted to its use, particularly in terms of movement restrictions on cattle
- research into cattle vaccines should continue, and that greater effort and resources be devoted to such research.
We also recommend that farmers take note of the Minister's comments about good animal husbandry and take steps to ensure that they follow best practice.
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