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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of stress caused by tuberculosis testing on the rate of abortion in cows.

Bovine TB is one of the most significant and costly animal health problems facing our cattle keepers, it has a devasting impact on affected rural businesses. Routine and targeted bTB testing of cattle herds, using effective and validated tests, is a key part of our bTB eradication strategy.

No specific assessment of the potential impact of stress caused by tuberculosis testing on the rate of abortion in cows has been commissioned by Defra.