Badger Cull

There is scientific opinion on both sides; the nub of the debate is that the majority of scientif...

What’s that got to do with it?

It has a lot to do with it, frankly. Killing animals that do not carry the disease is simply wron...

On top of the efforts that my hon. Friend is talking about and the science, which should taken in...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for drawing the House’s attention to that research, of which I wa...

I want to start by commenting on the use of language in the debate. In his statement to the House...

Does the hon. Gentleman, who is not an expert, think that there will be sufficient time before th...

I know that the hon. Gentleman is fascinated with firearms, but shooting badgers will not work ei...

I have huge respect for the hon. Gentleman, who chairs the Science and Technology Committee. Evid...

There is a chicken and egg argument and a serious challenge facing us. My concern is that the Hou...

Notwithstanding Mr. Speaker’s earlier injunction, I must tell the hon. Gentleman that if he had b...

The hon. Gentleman speaks of a big tranche, but I have not seen research and the necessary invest...

I start by reminding the House of my declared interests in this matter. I would like to comment b...

I happen to represent one of the areas worst affected by TB. I want to commend my right hon. Frie...

My hon. Friend is entirely right. Several Members, including the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavili...

The right hon. Gentleman’s point has been made repeatedly over the last few days, but does he not...

I accept that, not least because the reservoir involves different species of animals. Clearly, we...

The case that the right hon. Gentleman describes is not the same as the discussions that I know h...

rose—

Order, Sir James. I will make the decisions, although it is good of you to offer advice. I am sur...

In the limited amount of time that is now available, let me deal with the issue of science. Every...

Order. The right hon. Gentleman’s time is up.

1.11 pm

There should be no doubt in the minds of Members on both sides of the House that bovine tuberculo...

One of the problems with the Krebs trials was that they were interrupted by the foot and mouth ou...

I am not sure exactly how that relates to what I have been saying, but the hon. Gentleman has put...

I have great pride in declaring that I breed Hereford cattle, and even more pride in saying they ...

The hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas), who moved the motion, has just left her ...

Order. Mr Herbert, you should know better. A lot of Members wish to speak. We have asked for shor...

I entirely agree with my right hon. Friend. He is absolutely right: it is a tragedy not only for ...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the ideal in terms of getting rid of this problem is a cattle vacc...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We do need a suitable vaccination to be developed and to be l...

May I begin by saying how much I regret that the Secretary of State is not in his place? I regret...

I am sure my hon. Friends are aware that bovine tuberculosis is the most infectious type of TB. I...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley), who made a very thoughtful...

Does the hon. Gentleman remember that he had the opportunity to respond to the Select Committee’s...

I will come on to what the previous Government did at DEFRA when I was Minister of State. The hon...

I want to concentrate on the effect of TB-infected herds on farmers, especially in the west count...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

No, I think not. I want to carry on in this vein.

I object to Opposition Members’ comments ...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

No, I will not, because I did give way earlier. I will carry on.

This is mainly an Oppositi...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

As the hon. Gentleman is so persistent, yes.

I am very grateful. On perturbation, what happens to the setts of badgers that are culled in the ...

The whole idea of the trial is to get a 70% reduction in the number of badgers—

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I have not really answered the previous intervention, but I will give way.

The evidence is that the setts are left untouched. That has already been demonstrated. They are o...

My point, in answer to both interventions, is that the whole idea of the trial is to carry out a ...

The hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish) has just given us a wonderful example of h...

Almost eradicating bovine TB in the 1950s and ’60s was a truly remarkable achievement, but the di...

The hon. Gentleman ignores the fact that we went for 20 years without doing anything, as has been...

rose—

Order. A large number of Members still wish to participate in the debate. To ensure that all of t...

I do not know what it is about debates in this House involving animals, but the speech by the hon...

May I sound a note of caution? While my hon. Friend may have a difference with the RSPCA, it is t...

My hon. Friend makes a good point. I concur with what he says about the RSPCA, which is why I am ...

Order. I want to take the opportunity to remind the House and the hon. Gentleman that it is not i...

In following the hon. Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire (Simon Hart), let me say...

I cannot believe that the hon. Lady believes that farmers who have had the disease and who have b...

I will not comment on particular instances of the husbandry practices of farmers and how they kee...

I rise to speak against the motion. It strikes me that many who have spoken in its favour have do...

Professor Donnelly has also shown that that reduction still represented an increase in the incide...

In the absence of any other factors, that is correct. However, the pilot culls that are now envis...

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Central Devon (Mel Stride), who spoke with great a...

Professor Donnelly has already been mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Central Devon (Mel...

As we have heard, the weight of scientific evidence goes in a certain direction, but some scienti...

Is this not the crucial point? Yes, those scientists have quoted their expertise, but the fact is...

The right hon. Gentleman did some good work as Minister of State, and I welcomed his contribution...

Devon is the county worst affected by bovine TB in the entire country. Six thousand cattle were s...

Bovine TB is a £100 million problem in cash terms but a much larger human problem for dairy farme...

The debate has unfortunately become perhaps a little polarised, but we have had a determination t...

Some people who keep cattle are saying, “I can’t put up with this any more,” so they sell their c...

That is absolutely true, although in parts of my hon. Friend’s constituency and of mine that choi...

Of course, after these two pilots merely assess the effectiveness and humaneness of the culling m...

We will see what happens during the pilots. Looking at the methodology is one of the key issues, ...

I congratulate the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) on the generous way in whi...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his gracious remarks. However, in condemning misinformati...

That is a relevant point. I shall say more about the vaccine issue in a moment.

The hon. La...

I acknowledge that, as a member of the British Veterinary Association, the hon. Gentleman has exp...

It goes without saying that the research must be carried out, that it must be ongoing and that it...

The hon. Gentleman must accept that as badgers die at a very rapid rate—25% attrition each year—v...

We have to accept that culling is not a silver bullet—it is not the magic answer—but vaccination ...

It is a pleasure to have an opportunity to speak in this important debate, and to follow the hon....

As it was me who cancelled those “trials”, I feel that I need to respond. May I make it absolutel...

I am grateful for my right hon. Friend’s intervention, but I still think that we need to put more...

There are three principal reasons why I support today’s motion. First, I believe that a badger cu...

It is always a privilege to be called to speak in the Chamber, certainly in such an important deb...

The myth that the disease is out of control needs to be nailed. Fewer cattle have been slaughtere...

I do not agree. I talk to many farmers and when one looks across the country, and in certain key ...

I ask colleagues to imagine a bowl of fresh green salad, but rather than sprinkling it with the s...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

No, I am going to carry on, if I may.

The point is, yes, let us see investment, but we want...

rose—

Order. Unfortunately, I am going to have to introduce a five-minute limit to get everybody in. Ev...

This is a complex and controversial issue, which is hugely important in my constituency of Montgo...

I am delighted to be called to speak, but of course disappointed that we are under such time rest...

I declare an interest as I am a cattle keeper; indeed, over the past five years I have had a herd...

The hon. Gentleman is being somewhat misleading. The DEFRA website states that

“in January ...

My point is that it is the same old vaccine—we have not made progress and there is no magic bulle...

I apologise to you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for not being present throughout the debate. I was chairin...

I have been a livestock farmer for two decades, so I am familiar with the difficulties that cattl...

I remind Members of my declaration of interests.

It is very good news that we are having th...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I would love to, but I am under strict orders. It is the first time I have refused to give way, f...

It is always a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for North East Somerset (Jacob Rees-Mogg), but ...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that two of the other knowns are the recent breakthrough in the DIV...

There are certainly significant gathered knowns now that were not available 10 or 15 years ago. T...

I rise to oppose the motion. Farming is an industry vital to the economy of Cheshire. It is an in...

We have heard a range of passionate and fairly well-informed contributions to a debate on what is...

She is a she.

Well, that is a relief. I do not know why the Minister has not told the Secretary of State that, ...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the Secretary of State’s comparing the research on a vaccine to Si...

The Secretary of State got his Sisyphus mixed up with his Tantalus. I think he will find that he ...

I want to challenge the hon. Lady again on these figures. I did not dispute, in my speech, the 16...

The scientists gave a range of between 12% and 16% if the cull was carried out under exactly the ...

rose—

I will not give way, because I want to hear some answers from the Minister.

We also warned ...

Order. The Minister of State has the remainder of the time available. If there is a minute or two...

In my previous ministerial role, I instituted the e-petition concept and also introduced the Back...

I am unsure whether the matter will be put to a vote, but on the principle of whether people are ...

We will of course listen to what Back Benchers have to say. As a member of the Government, I will...

The Minister referred to Professor Krebs. What does he have to say about the fact that Professor ...

I listen to a range of scientific opinion and take the evidence that was revealed by Krebs and Bo...

A reduction of between 60% and 70% sounds pretty good when compared with the 12% to 16% reduction...

I wish it were that easy. I wish we could ignore all the regulations and precautionary measures t...

I am glad that my hon. Friend has set out the Government’s intention to persist, with determinati...

Let me be absolutely clear: we will use every tool in the box to bear down on bovine TB. That is ...

This has been a comprehensive debate, and I genuinely thank everybody who has taken part in it an...

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. May we have an indication from the Minister that the Government ...

The hon. Lady has made her point with force and alacrity and, as she will know, it is on the reco...

I am sure you will guide me if it is not, Mr Speaker. For clarity, is it still the case, as has b...

The answer to that, in short, is no. Only legislation binds. The hon. Gentleman will have heard t...