Bovine tuberculosis: consultation on proposals to help eradicate the disease in England.

Closed 24 Mar 2021

Opened 27 Jan 2021

Contact

bTBengage@defra.gov.uk

Overview

This consultation closed on 24 March 2021. The Government's response to the consultation and associated annex can be found at the bottom of this page.
 
The government published a response to the Godfray Review in March 2020, setting out three top priorities for the next phase of the bTB Strategy: 
 
• accelerating work to develop a deployable cattle vaccine in the next five years; 
 
• evolving the wildlife control policy, by beginning to phase out intensive badger culling in the next few years and gradually replacing this with government-supported badger vaccination and surveillance. Culling would remain an option where epidemiological assessment indicates that it is needed; 
 
• improving diagnostic testing to root out bTB more effectively, with deployment of more sensitive tests for surveillance supported by greater use of on-farm restriction of cattle with inconclusive test results. 
 
This consultation sets out in more detail proposed changes to aspects of bTB policy in keeping with these priorities, in order to begin the transition into the next phase of the bTB Strategy. It purposefully brings together cattle and wildlife measures given our strategy is holistic. 
 
Please read the consultation document before responding to the questions. You can find the document as a PDF attachment at the bottom of this page.

What happens next

Every response will be read and considered by the policy team in Defra in taking forward our work. We intend to publish a summary of responses to this consultation in due course. It will not be practical to describe every response in detail.

Audiences

  • Charities/Voluntary Organisations
  • Environmental campaigners
  • Animal welfare campaigners
  • Vets
  • Operators of animal gatherings
  • Livestock show ground operators
  • National Park Authorities
  • Veterinarians
  • Local Authorities
  • Non-Government Organisation
  • Landowners and their representative bodies
  • Farmers
  • Tenant Farmers
  • Agricultural Landlords
  • Agricultural Valuers
  • Land Agents
  • Trading Standards Officers
  • Environmental Health Officers
  • Professional and Membership Organisations/Agencies
  • Public Bodies

Interests

  • Natural environment
  • Local nature partnerships
  • Biodiversity
  • Animals
  • Science
  • Conservation
  • DEFRA Policy
  • Policy and Delivery
  • Dairy industry
  • Cattle
  • Animal diseases
  • Animal welfare
  • Farm management
  • Land management
  • Livestock disease control
  • Sheep, goat and deer production/marketing
  • Meat Industry
  • Rural economy and communities
  • Conservation
  • Industry organisations representing tenant farmers and landlords
  • Solicitors specialising in agricultural law
  • Wildlife crime
  • Wildlife management
  • Protecting wildlife