To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has to review the amount of compensation paid to farmers for cattle of high genetic value slaughtered under bovine tuberculosis control measures. (100907)

We are working with interested industry parties, through the Cattle Compensation Advisory Group, to monitor the cattle compensation arrangements introduced early this year and consider possible enhancements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when results will be announced for the evaluation of changes in pre-movement testing of cattle for bovine TB. (101411)

Monitoring of the impacts of pre-movement testing is ongoing and key statistics are updated monthly and published on the DEFRA website at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/premovement/monitoring-data.htm

No evidence has emerged to date that alters the decision to extend pre-movement testing to younger animals in March 2007 as already set out in legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the evidential basis is for the view that human interference with badger setts is a causal factor in the transmission rates of bovine tuberculosis. (102373)

If by human interference my hon. Friend means culling, the evidence suggests that culling, as carried out in the Randomised Badger Culling Trial, causes a decrease in TB incidence in the area culled and an increase around the site of a cull. The Independent Scientific Group suggests this is due to perturbation following culling.

Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 it is illegal to interfere with badgers or their setts unless under licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidences of bovine TB there were in 2005. (102602)

There were 3,653 new bovine tuberculosis (bTB) herd incidents in Great Britain in 2005. Reports on bTB statistics for Great Britain are published on the DEFRA website at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/stats/index.htm.