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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to produce a National Bluetongue Strategy.

Disease control is a devolved matter. Defra works closely with the Devolved Governments to provide, where possible, a consistent and coordinated response across the UK.

The disease control measures we deploy for incidents of bluetongue in Great Britain are set out in the ‘GB Bluetongue Virus Disease Control Strategy’.

Defra’s bluetongue disease control measures aim to limit the spread of BTV infection through proportionate and evidence-based control measures, whilst balancing the burdens of controls against the benefits of slowing the spread of bluetongue and minimising the cost of any outbreak both to Government and farmers. Our control framework, which was developed with a wide range of sector representatives, recognises that BTV control via movement restrictions was not a long-term solution, noting keepers and businesses can be affected not only by the impacts of disease on animals, but by disease control measures as well.