3 Key concerns raised in evidence
5. We believe the evidence we have taken forms a
useful contribution to the consultation process, and expect Ministers
to take note of it. In addition, we note below the key concerns
which we have drawn from the evidence. We expect Ministers to
take these points into account when finalising the Government's
policy, in the light of the consultation exercise.
- Witnesses were concerned that
Defra had not conducted adequate pre-consultation soundings of
the scientific experts, or other interested parties, when formulating
the questions and scenarios presented in the consultation document.[5]
The Committee particularly noted in this context the words of
Professor John Bourne, Chairman of the ISG, who said, "the
consultation document is imbalanced, in the sense that two of
the options from the scientific perspective are simply not tenable".[6]
We also noted that the scientists who gave oral evidence raised
questions as to the sustainability of the remaining option in
the long term.[7]
- There was concern among the scientific witnesses
that the consultation document had not reflected the findings
of the ISG about the causes of the "edge effect"—that
is, the increase in the incidence of bovine TB immediately outside
an area that has been subject to culling.[8]
- An important omission from the consultation document
was the lack of any consideration of the human dimension of bovine
TB—the impact on farmers and their families—in the
questions asked.[9]
- Concern was expressed to us about whether a sufficient
number of people with the relevant skills and expertise were available
to carry out any of the culling options presented by Defra.[10]
- Evidence suggested that the consultation should
have done more to allow for comments on the introduction of measures
other than badger culling, given the potential difficulties in
disaggregating the impacts of a combined approach.[11]
6. We believe that, if the line the UK Government
proposes to take differs from the position adopted by the ISG
on what constitutes an effective culling strategy, Defra should
publish details of the science underpinning its conclusions on
the consultation exercise. The Committee would welcome an indication
from the Government as to what role the two scientific papers,
issued just prior to the launch of the consultation paper, will
play in the consultation exercise.[12]
7. Following the oral evidence session, we received
a letter from Ben Bradshaw MP, the Minister for Local Environment,
Marine and Animal Welfare at Defra, commenting on the oral evidence
and listing several questions he had sent to the ISG on 30 January
2006. His letter is printed with the other written evidence received
during our inquiry.[13]
We believe that the consultation exercise might have had more
validity if the questions the Minister put to the ISG had been
asked before the consultation commenced, and in time for the response
from the ISG to be reflected in the questions asked by Defra in
its consultation paper.
5 Qq 15 [ISG], 52 [Badger Trust], 53 [NFU] Back
6
i.e. localised culling and targeted culling (Qq 5-6) Back
7
i.e. a general cull over large areas (Qq 7 [Professor Bourne],
8-9 [Dr Cheeseman], 21 [Dr Woodroffe], 25 [Dr Cheeseman]) Back
8
Qq 12, 13 Back
9
Qq 68, 69 Back
10
Q 48 Back
11
Ev 61 [RSPCA], Q 35-38 Back
12
The two scientific papers referred to are: Donnelly, C.A., Woodroffe,
R., Cox, D.R., Bourne, F.J., Cheeseman, C.L., Clifton-Hadley,
R.S., Wei, G., Gettinby, G., Gilks, P., Jenkins, H., Johnston,
W.T., Le Ferve, A.M., McInerney, J.P. & Morrison, W.I. (2005)
"Positive and Negative effects of widespread badger culling
on cattle tuberculosis", Nature, doi.10.1038/nature04454
and Woodroffe, R., Donnelly, C.A., Cox, D.R., Bourne, F.J., Cheeseman,
C.L., Delahay, R.J., Gettinby, G., McInerney, J.P. & Morrison,
W.I. (2005) "Effects of culling on badger Meles meles spatial
organization: implications for the control of bovine tuberculosis",
Journal of Applied Ecology, doi: 10.111/j.1365-2664.2005.01144.x..
They were published online on 14 December 2005, the day before
Defra launched its consultation on badger culling. Back
13
Ev 104-105 Back
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