An expected date for receipt of a review’s conclusions into combating bovine TB has been confirmed to Angela Burns AM.
The Environment Minister now expects to receive the Science Review Group’s report at the end of November.
He announced plans for a badger cull would be put on hold in June, while an independent panel of experts looked at the science behind the issue.
Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, Antoinette Sandbach AM obtained the information following a written question.
She said:
“When the Minister finally gets sight of this report, it will be almost six months since he kicked the cull into the long grass.
“During that time frustrations over the delay have got worse and worse, while the Minister has simply put his feet up and ignored all appeals for progress.
Mrs Burns added, “for many of the Farmers of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire the uncertainty that has surrounded this has been very frustrating. It just seems that having agreed a whole raft of strategies as a way to combat the threat of Bovine TB the Welsh Government took the earliest opportunity to dither over the actions required. Meanwhile Farmers are in limbo and being put under TB restrictions or having to watch valuable cows being destroyed, many of them needlessly. I welcome the fact that he has finally revealed when this report is due. The farming industry will rightly expect the details at the very earliest opportunity – along with an urgent statement that clearly outlines the next steps.”
“The Minister has delayed long-enough. It is now time to take the tough but necessary decisions to eradicate this disease.”
