MP's challenge over cattle

Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski has challenged the Government to end the "terrible suffering and misery" caused by bovine tuberculosis.Mr Kawczynski called for decisions to be made urgently on culling badgers and developing vaccines to help fight the spread of the disease.

Bovine tuberculosis is one of the most pressing animal health problems facing the UK farming industry, with hundreds of animals culled.

Mr Kawczynski said in a Westminster Hall debate that incidences of bTB had risen dramatically in the last decade.

This was causing hardship for farmers across the UK.

"The situation in Shropshire is such that in 1998 . . . 45 animals were slaughtered under bovine TB control measures.

"In 2006 the figure was 915 . . . I want to repeat that over and over again because the figure is absolutely breathtaking, 45 cases to 915, it is an absolute outrage that this is allowed to continue."

He said he had visited many farms to see the "terrible suffering and misery this disease has caused".

Citing a cross-party report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, he said measures to control the disease were "not working effectively".

He said the report called for more frequent testing by the Government, greater discussion with farmers on bio security measures and the deployment of badger and cattle vaccines when they become available.

The report also suggested a limited badger cull in certain "hotspot areas".

Mr Kawczynski called for "extra investment . . . to sort out bovine TB in this country once and for all so that this country can save the hundreds of millions of pounds it will ultimately have to spend if this crisis is not dealt with."

He also attacked the compensation packages in place for farmers whose cattle have been culled, saying there were instances of farmers being compensated for normal cattle when pedigree cattle had been culled.

Junior environment minister Joan Ruddock said that despite the levels of the disease being "unacceptably high", 91 per cent of the UK's cattle herds where bTB free.