Badger Cull

I understand the desperation that farmers are in. However, the Government have presented culling ...

I hope the whole House would agree that in an ideal world we would want healthy badgers, a health...

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman is hoping to catch the eye of the Chair later in the deb...

In government we spent £20 million on delivering a vaccine. That contrasts rather unhappily with ...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I want to make some progress.

The cull method—free shooting—is untested. The number of badg...

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for giving way. I remind her that, as a result of the destruction ...

I have not read that report, but today’s report from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Comm...

It is about vaccines.

I know it is about vaccines, but it is extraordinary that it does not mention the Government’s ma...

Is it not the case that free shooting is being adopted because it is simply the cheapest way to k...

That is right. The free shooting method is being adopted because cage trapping and shooting is mu...

Will my hon. Friend comment on the impact of the partial genocide of badgers in England while vac...

I commend the approach of the Welsh Assembly Government and I am glad that the preliminary result...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I am going to explain perturbation, so I will get that over with if the hon. Gentleman does not m...

The hon. Lady has skated over the reason why farmers, contrary to her assertion, are strongly in ...

I understand the human issues very well, but the farming community is divided on this matter. I h...

That one.

I do not know whether there is just one. I am assuming that there are more than one.

The fa...

rose—

I will make progress, then I will take some interventions.

There is huge concern among scie...

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for giving way and apologise for missing her opening remarks. She ...

Order. More than 20 right hon. and hon. Members want to contribute to the debate, so some self-di...

rose—

I give way to my hon. Friend.

My hon. Friend knows that I am a great campaigner for the countryside, but following the points m...

I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention.

Let me come back to the perturbation side of ...

Does the hon. Lady agree with me that the true cost to the taxpayer has nothing to do with these ...

The Secretary of State said at the weekend that he wants to roll out a further 10 areas a year fo...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

No. Police costs are material, because at a time when the police face 20% cuts, asking armed resp...

rose—

I am going to make some progress.

If farmers pull out of the cull and the bond does not cov...

On the issue of police security, will the hon. Lady unhesitatingly condemn any illegal harassment...

Absolutely; there is no place for illegal activity. It is interesting that the Government are ign...

I understand that the Government are rightly insisting on vaccination on land adjoining the culli...

That is right. Vaccination has to take place every year because of the life cycle of the badger. ...

rose—

I want to make some more progress before giving way again.

Let me move on to deal with the ...

If, as the hon. Lady suggests, culling is an inhumane approach to badgers, why does she believe t...

I have mentioned the letter in today’s edition of The Independent, and I wonder whether the hon. ...

I have the highest regard for the hon. Lady and we have worked well together in Yorkshire on a nu...

I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. I am coming on to that point in my speech. Her report...

My hon. Friend has correctly identified an issue about which hundreds of my constituents have wri...

I know that there is a great deal of public concern. Any policy must be socially, environmentally...

rose—

Twenty Members wish to speak, so I want to make some progress.

If it is not the most effect...

The hon. Lady has given us a tremendous number of statistics, for which I am grateful. Will she n...

I am in touch with farmers all the time, and I have had a meeting with the National Farmers Union...

As I think the hon. Lady is beginning to make clearer, it is not a case of either vaccinating or ...

We now have the DIVA test, which enables us to differentiate vaccinated and infected cattle, and ...

My hon. Friend has made the important point that even in infected areas there are farms that mana...

I agree with my hon. Friend. There is nothing more dangerous than an idea if it is the only idea ...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

No, I will not. I am about to end my speech.

Any solution will require us to work closely w...

I beg to move an amendment, to leave out from “House” to the end of the Question and add:

“...

The statistics show that the spread and increase in the United Kingdom is almost unique. Does my ...

I am grateful to the Chairman of the Select Committee for her question, and I thank her for her r...

The NFU in north Yorkshire supports my right hon. Friend’s policy. It is desperate that this dise...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I know that he is in close touch with the farming community, and...

The Secretary of State has highlighted the costs to the individual farmer and the taxpayer, but d...

The hon. Gentleman is right to mention the potentially very serious impact on the agri-food indus...

I have written to the Secretary of State on this matter. I asked about the impact of a cull in th...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her question, in which she raises one of the most pertinent p...

My right hon. Friend is explaining the Government’s policy very well indeed. Does he have any ide...

That is a very helpful question. On first analysis, the estimate was about 16%, but the Irish hav...

Section 4.5 of the Krebs report had some important things to say about the Department—then called...

That is an interesting question. We are following on from the Krebs trials—the RBCTs or randomise...

The Secretary of State is giving a lot of international examples, but I would like to know what l...

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point, but I ask him to wait a few minutes because I am co...

The Secretary of State has talked about how he has been around the world to look at all these app...

I do not think that the hon. Gentleman quite listened to what I said. If he makes comparisons wit...

rose—

I will take one more intervention, but I do want to give other hon. Members the chance to speak.<...

The Secretary of State is drawing on these European comparisons, so why does his own amendment ta...

I do not think that is a very accurate statement. We have very strict movement controls and our f...

rose—

This really will be the last intervention I take for a while.

My right hon. Friend will recollect that the randomised badger control trials studied not only th...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his intervention. I know that you are an assiduous reader of ...

rose—

Other Members want to get speak, so, if I may, I will push on a bit further.

Vaccination is...

Will the Secretary of State give way?

I will generously give way to the shadow Minister.

Will the Secretary of State clarify the comments he made a moment ago? If a viable badger vaccina...

I was going to come on to deal with that question but I will touch on it now. Clearly, an effecti...

May I draw the Secretary of State’s attention to one area of healthy badgers, just to draw on his...

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that useful question. I know that he is already talking...

rose—

The hon. Lady has tried hard, so I will give way.

I thank the Secretary of State for so generously giving way. Does he recall comparing the search ...

I think the hon. Lady is being a little hard. We have given credit to the previous Government, wh...

rose—

I am going to push on.

That is another reason we plan to consult on a new draft TB eradicat...

rose—

Order. I remind hon. Members that there is a six-minute limit on speeches—[Interruption.] It is n...

As a west country MP, I can tell the House that there is widespread opposition in the west countr...

rose—

I will not give way, because I only have six minutes and the hon. Gentleman will get his chance t...

Scientific research done by Chambers et al in 2010 showed that adequate vaccination could reduce ...

Yes. It is a huge difference, and there is a debate to be had about the cost of vaccination, whic...

It is an honour to follow the hon. Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy). I congratulate the h...

I rise to speak about a serious problem that I know causes great consternation in the farming com...

The Government use evidence from other countries’ culling other animals, such as possums and deer...

It is indeed difficult to make comparisons with other countries, where ecological patterns are ve...

That is because there is no money, because you messed up the economy. [Interruption.]

Order. We do not need enticement from the Front Bench. The Secretary of State does not need to ge...

The European Commission has set out an indicative 10-year timetable for the cattle BCG vaccine an...

I know the hon. Lady is completely genuine in her views, but does she not agree that the vaccine ...

That highlights the need for further scientific research and development. Clearly there is still ...

Continuing on the same note as the hon. Member for Llanelli (Nia Griffith), in my speech I will e...

Does the hon. Gentleman have any idea of the complexities of dealing with the physical act of vac...

Absolutely; that is fully understood. Indeed, many people working on our wider advisory group are...

I congratulate my hon. Friend on his proactive stance, but we have heard how difficult it is to e...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question. We have the involvement of a scientist who was...

I am pleased to follow the hon. Member for St Ives (Andrew George), who made a balanced speech. I...

An effective Opposition would debate early-day motion 189.

I must draw to the attention of ...

Has my hon. Friend heard that bovine TB has spread to domestic animals such as cats and dogs?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right: TB is found in hedgehogs, cats and dogs, and even sheep. It a...

Given the devastation caused by the disease in our region and the area neighbouring our county, w...

I would make the point that these are pilots. The Opposition have made it clear that they believe...

I spent the weekend talking to farmers to find out their position on the issue and I was shocked ...

The hon. Lady is summarising what is driving the enormous frustration in the countryside with som...

I find the hon. Gentleman’s use of language offensive and patronising. I do not like to be called...

I begin by drawing attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests in that ...

rose—

Order. I will have to drop the time limit on speeches to five minutes. [Interruption.] It is no u...

I come to the debate as a trustee of the League Against Cruel Sports. Only this morning, I helped...

The Opposition have called Members to the House for this debate, and the Leader of the Opposition...

Order. I have suggested short interventions, and if Members want to pass judgment on others, it w...

If the hon. Gentleman had been in his place and listened to my hon. Friend the Member for Wakefie...

This debate has shown that the Secretary of State and the Minister have taken a brave decision to...

The hon. Gentleman is speaking with great knowledge. He mentioned the importance of cattle moveme...

Order. It is up to Members speaking whether they give way or not, but those intervening, from wha...

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will not take any more interventions. I think that the hon. Lady ...

I am pleased to follow the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish), who is a respected...

When I spoke in a previous debate on this issue, I was one of few Conservative Members who stood ...

It is a great privilege to follow the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Tracey Crouch), for ...

I think that we are at the stage

of the afternoon when ther...

It is always a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire (Si...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Government ultimately have a duty of care to the farmers a...

I do accept that; it is a very key issue for us all. That is why I am speaking about the importan...

I want to speak not only because this is an issue that I feel strongly about, but because it is a...

I am very pleased that my Shropshire neighbour, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, is p...

I declare an interest as a farmer who owns cattle, albeit in Wales, which is not covered by the G...

I thank my hon. Friend and neighbour for allowing me to intervene. Does he share my disappointmen...

There is disappointment in Wales about that, but I want to continue to talk about the role that v...

I wanted to speak in this debate because of the importance of balancing the well-being of our her...

I rise to speak against the motion and in support of the many farmers in my constituency who have...

rose—

Order. Mr Mark Spencer will be the last speaker, and he will have four minutes in which to speak....

Let me first draw the House’s attention to my declaration of interest, not only as a former dairy...

This has been a good debate, and I commend all Members who have spoken today for their contributi...

The hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr Spencer) twice called me ignorant for using the term “shotguns” ...

Order. That is a point of clarification, not an intervention. The hon. Lady has made those remark...

It is important to stick with the facts and what is said in the documents.

My hon. Friend t...

This has been an extremely useful debate, not least because it has, I hope, reminded people that ...