Bovine TB: tackling infection in pigs, sheep, goats, captive deer and South American camelids

Overview

Bovine TB is the most pressing and costly animal health problem in the UK.  The disease threatens our cattle industry and presents a risk to other livestock, as well as wildlife species, pets and humans.  The Government remains determined to eradicate bovine TB, including through a comprehensive programme of interventions, as set out in the Strategy for achieving Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free (OTF) status for England, which was published in April 2014 and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-strategy-for-achieving-officially-bovine-tuberculosis-free-status-for-england.

This consultation outlines a number of measures for tackling TB in non-bovine animals (pigs, sheep, goats, captive deer and South American camelids), including proposals relating to:

• Reporting suspicion of disease
• Duty of veterinary inquiry
• Government testing of non-bovines
• Consent for private TB testing, treatment for TB and TB vaccination.
• Precautions against disease spread, including isolation and prohibition of movement of animals
• Non-bovine animals in markets and shows
• Compensation

Our judgement is that none of these proposals will impose significant new burdens on any business sector because they are, in effect, largely a reconstitution of existing but disparate legal provisions. We feel that bringing them together will be a simplification and aid understanding for affected businesses (a view reinforced by the attached 'Regulatory Triage Assessment' (RTA)) - but we want you to tell us what you think.       

The proposals have been informed by responses to a 'call for views' that Defra ran in 2015 and subsequent meetings with many of the national representative organisations for the species concerned. A summary of the responses to the 2015 call for views can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/bovine-tb-in-non-bovine-farmed-animals-call-for-views.

Why your views matter

This is the latest in a series of consultation exercises aimed at introducing sensible, proportionate and affordable TB control measures that will, in combination, increase the probability that the goal of national official TB freedom will be achieved by the target date of 2038.  In proposing changes to TB controls on non-bovine animals our aim is to strike a balance between robust disease control - aimed ultimately at achieving OTF status for England - and supporting sustainable livestock businesses. However, in order to achieve OTF status it is vital that Government works closely with stakeholders to ensure that change can be delivered and that any adverse impacts are minimised.

What happens next

The responses to the consultation will be anlysed and a Governemnt response published within 12 weeks of the 7th November 2016 closing date.