To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress made in Northern Ireland to eradicate bovine TB. [107935]

Bovine tuberculosis is among the most difficult animal health problems facing Northern Ireland. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has a range of measures in place to control bovine TB. There is an extensive programme of identification and removal of infected animals, combined with control on movements. DARD test all animals annually and all animals that show a positive result to the test are slaughtered. More stringent rules are applied to tests where there is known infection in the herd. Animals may not be moved from infected herds until the problem is resolved. This prevents onward spread.DARD has also recently completed a policy review of all aspects of the existing control measures for this disease to identify what further or different measures are necessary to reduce the incidence of TB. The aim of the Policy Review is to reduce the incidence of TB substantially within five years and to achieve a year-on-year reduction in the meantime. An announcement on taking forward the policy review recommendations will be made shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cattle were infected with tuberculosis in Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 months; what the average period of time taken to remove infected cattle from herds after receiving tuberculosis test results was in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement on how the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is dealing with the problem. [108876]

In the 12 month period from 1 April 2002 there have been 16,359 Bovine Tuberculosis reactors. The average time from completion of the Tuberculin test to slaughter of these reactors is 23.7 working days. The figures for each month are as follows:

Month	Number of TB reactors	Working days test to slaughter
April 2002	1,291	24.1
May 2002	1,117	21.3
June 2002	655	22.5
July 2002	706	19.2
August 2002	1,310	21.4
September 2002	1,062	21.1
October 2002	1,199	22.2
November 2002	2,182	25.4
December 2002	1,456	30.2
January 2003	2,313	26.2
February 2003	1,745	23.0
March 2003	1,323	15.6
Total	16,359	23.7

Bovine Tuberculosis is among the most difficult animal health problems facing Northern Ireland today. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has a range of measures in place to control bovine TB, There is an extensive programme of identification and removal of infected animals combined with control on movements. DARD test all animals annually and all animals that show a positive result to the test are slaughtered. More stringent rules are applied to tests where there is known infection in the herd. Animals may not be moved from infected herds until the problem is resolved. This prevents onward spread.To facilitate the removal of reactor animals, additional livestock valuation officers have been recruited and additional capacity added for the slaughter of reactors, which are older than 30 months of age. The process from completion of the Tuberculin test to slaughter of a reactor is being closely monitored and efficiencies sought. It is important to appreciate that because of the current high levels of Brucellosis in Northern Ireland that the removal of reactors to this disease is given priority which has an effect on the removal of TB reactors.DARD has also recently completed a policy review of all aspects of the existing control measures for this disease to identify what further or different measures are necessary to reduce the incidence of TB. The aim of the Policy Review is to reduce the incidence of TB substantially within five years and to achieve a year on year reduction in the meantime. An announcement on taking forward the policy review recommendations will be made shortly.