asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many badgers' setts have been gassed during the operation of the policy of gassing badgers to halt the spread of bovine tuberculosis; and how many setts were gassed more than once.

For the period from the commencement of gassing in August 1975 to the suspension of its use as the main method of badger control on 26 June 1982, a total of 4,478 setts in the south-west of England were gassed. Figures for the number of setts gassed more than once are not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether the policy of gassing badgers has halted the spread of bovine tuberculosis; and what is the incidence of the disease today in the area where the policy has been operating compared with the incidence in the same area in 1975;(2) how many herd outbreaks and individual cases of bovine tuberculosis occurred in 1980, 1981 and so far in 1982.

The following table shows the total number of herd breakdowns with tuberculosis and the total number of reactors in those breakdowns, for the counties of the south-west region and for the rest of England. My hon. Friend will be pleased to note that the incidence of the disease has generally decreased over the period in question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total cost to date of the policy of gassing badgers to halt the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

The cost of the badger control operations in the south-west of England, indluding salaries and equipment, from August 1975 to 26 June 1982 is estimated at about an average of £140,000 per annum.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether the policy of gassing badgers to halt the spread of bovine tuberculosis is still being operated;(2) why the policy of gassing badgers to halt the spread of bovine tuberculosis has been stopped.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Sir A. Kershaw) on 14 July 1982.—[Vol. 27, c. 389.]