To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent policy is on payment of compensation to farmers whose cattle contract tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement. (141240)

[holding answer 11 June 2007]: Since 1 February 2006, compensation in England for bovine tuberculosis (TB) has been determined primarily using table values, which reflect the average sales price of bovine animals in 47 different categories. The categories are based on the animal’s age, gender, type (dairy or beef) and status (that is, pedigree or non-pedigree).

The Government are obliged to pay compensation for cattle that are culled as a result of TB. However, we believe that table valuations provide a fairer balance between the costs that are expected to be carried by the taxpayer and those that are expected to be carried by the farmer than was provided by the previous system of individual valuation.