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.

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.