Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the annual cost to the public purse is of employing staff as part of the current testing regime for controlling bovine tuberculosis.
Answered by George Eustice
The direct costs of TB tests for routine surveillance and control are met by government although no staff in my department are employed full time on TB testing. In England government staff costs associated with TB testing totalled £2,454,234 in 2016-17. In the same year the cost to government of TB testing carried out under contract by delivery partners totalled £17,489,217. Cattle keepers pay for pre- and post-movement TB tests, however they can use a government-funded surveillance test instead if it takes place within the required time period.
Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff of his Department are employed full-time as part of the current testing regime for controlling bovine tuberculosis.
Answered by George Eustice
No staff in my Department are employed full time on TB testing. Animal and Plant Health Agency vets and animal health officers involved in TB testing also carry out other duties.
Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraphs 1.296 and 1.297 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what progress her Department has made by estimated capacity of land sold since March 2016 in identifying and disposing of land to meet the Government's commitment.
Answered by George Eustice
The details of the government land and property released over the previous financial year will be published as part of the Transparency Review in summer 2017.
Asked by: Mark Prisk (Conservative - Hertford and Stortford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the plans she has to reintroduce tick treatment for pet animals returning to the UK.
Answered by George Eustice
The requirement for tick treatment was dropped as part of the harmonisation of the EU pet travel rules for movement and import of non-commercial dogs following a qualitative risk assessment and economic impact assessment for the introduction of Mediterranean Spotted fever (MSF) and the Brown Dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus.
The evidence which informed these pieces of work has not changed and therefore there is still no strong scientific basis for reintroducing the requirement for tick treatment to control MSF, a zoonotic disease.
Treatments for ticks are readily available and veterinary practices are able to advise on the most appropriate treatments.