Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
(asked on 22nd February 2018) - View Source
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to extend the badger cull to (1) Staffordshire, (2) Shropshire, and (3) Derbyshire; and if so, to which areas in those counties.
Should they wish, farmers and landowners across the bovine TB High Risk Area and Edge Area of England, which includes Staffordshire, Shropshire and Derbyshire, are able to apply to Natural England for licences to kill or take badgers for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB, as set out under section 10(2)(a) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. Applicants need to meet the licensing criteria and demonstrate that they will be able to deliver safe and effective operations in order to be authorised to proceed, as set out in the Guidance to Natural England, which can be found on gov.uk at the following link:
Farmers in a number of areas have signalled their intention to submit applications to Natural England for licences to conduct badger culls this year. Licensing decisions are a matter for Natural England.