Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help (a) farmers and (b) animal-related industries to reduce the likelihood of bluetongue virus spreading.

Early identification was crucial to enabling a rapid response to a bluetongue outbreak. Defra provided free pre-movement testing to animal keepers in counties at the highest risk of incursion from infected midges originating from the continent.

A restriction zone has been established to cover the counties affected by bluetongue. This measure has been carefully considered to protect the free-area from disease spread while allowing free-movement of animals within the zone, keeping businesses disruption to a minimum.

Bluetongue is a vector-borne disease transmitted by midges and is challenging to control without vaccination. Responding to the emerging bluetongue-3 epizootic, Defra have worked at pace with vaccine manufacturers, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and industry to permit the use of three vaccines, enabling keepers to voluntarily protect their stock.

To reduce the impact on animal businesses Defra have designated numerous slaughterhouses and published General Licences enabling animals from the zone to be slaughtered at those slaughterhouses with minimal disruption. Markets within the restricted zone can operate and Defra has approved markets located outside the zone to take animals from the zone.

The situation is reviewed regularly with consideration given to the proportionality of controls informed by science and the department’s close working with industry.