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Bovine Tuberculosis

Volume 490: debated on Monday 23 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department plans to allocate for measures to tackle bovine tuberculosis in the next three years. (263811)

The following table sets out the budget which has been allocated by DEFRA for expenditure on bovine tuberculosis in 2009-10. No allocation has yet been made for 2010-11 onwards and as such we are unable to provide any estimates.

Breakdown of bovine tuberculosis forecast expenditure for 2009-10

£ million (forecast only)

Cattle testing

37.8

Compensation

23

Surveillance activity by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA)

6.7

Other research

8.4

HQ/overheads

1.8

Total

77.7

Notes:

1. 2009-10 figures are provisional and subject to change

2. Data sourced from DEFRA Oracle financial system

3. Cattle testing—the cost of carrying out the testing of cattle for tuberculosis by arranging, assessing and monitoring tests, conducting investigations of incident herds and diagnostic testing by Local Veterinary Inspectors on behalf of DEFRA. (NB This expenditure is funded by DEFRA for the UK)

4. Compensation—includes payments for ‘reactors’ and ‘contact animals’ which are compulsorily slaughtered. This includes ‘salvage’ money received by the Government for those carcasses which are permitted to go into the food chain or are eligible for Over Thirty Month Scheme payments. (NB This funding is for England only)

5. Surveillance activity by the VLA—includes all DEFRA funded work carried out by the VLA relating to tuberculosis in cattle and badgers including the supply of tuberculin. (NB This expenditure is funded by DEFRA for the UK)

6. HQ/overheads—includes staff costs for veterinary advice and administration of tuberculosis policy in England only.