To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2009, Official Report, columns 377-9W, on bovine tuberculosis, in how many (a) counties and (b) parishes in England bovine tuberculosis had not been confirmed in the preceding four years in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2008. (269321)

Total numbers are as follows:

(a)(i) Counties¹ in England where bovine tuberculosis had not been confirmed 1994-97: 14.

(a)(ii)Counties¹ in England where bovine tuberculosis had not been confirmed 2005-08: six.

(b)(i) Number of parishes in England without a confirmed bovine TB incident 1994-97: 10,199.

(b)(ii) Number of parishes in England without a confirmed bovine TB incident 2005-08: 8,670.

¹ Counties as recorded on the Animal Health Vetnet system.

Source:

Data for these answers have been drawn from the Animal Health Vetnet system, the TB in Cattle System and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency’s TB Culture System.