Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 11 August 2011.
Zac Goldsmith
Conservative, Richmond Park
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effects of culling badgers on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle.
James Paice
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The results of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) showed that badger culling, when done on a sufficient scale in a widespread, co-ordinated and efficient way, and over a sustained period of time, would reduce the incidence of bovine TB in cattle in high incidence areas.
The evidence base on the effects of culling badgers on TB incidence in cattle was recently assessed at a meeting between DEFRA's Chief Scientific Adviser, Chief Veterinary Officer and a panel of independent experts. The key conclusions from this meeting, which includes a description of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial results and most up to date results of the ongoing post-trial analysis, were recently published on the DEFRA website at:
Yes3 people think so
No4 people think not
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Annotations
Janet Sullivan
Posted on 12 Aug 2011 10:56 am (Report this annotation)
This is not only misleading but an absolute lie. He needs to read the evidence. Badger culling is not effective and will never be effective unless you wipe out every badger in the country. Cull one group and another will move in. Problem is - you may be culling a TB free group only for badgers with TB to move in. This is not the answer. Vaccination is the only sure way of getting rid of it in cattle and wildlife.