Bovine tuberculosis: consultation analysis

1. Executive Summary

The Scottish Government recently consulted on a number of changes to the Tuberculosis (Scotland) Order 2007 ("the TB Order").

The following proposals were consulted on:

• Amending the provisions for the application of diagnostic tests, to include a requirement for the prior written permission of Scottish Ministers where non-statutory and private samples are taken with the intention of applying a diagnostic test for TB.
• Ending the practice of accepting a clear final short interval test (SIT) at the end of all TB breakdowns as a valid pre-movement test.
• Shortening the period during which a pre-movement test with negative results remains valid, from the current 60 days to 30 days after tuberculin injection.
• Reducing compensation for unclean cattle at slaughter by 50%.
• Including requirements for 'isolation' in legislation to ensure that proper isolation of reactors and inconclusive reactors (IRs) is undertaken.
• Strengthening the TB isolation requirements by specifying a location for isolation to take place
• Reducing compensation for reactors or IRs which are not properly isolated
• Including a reduction in compensation where subsequent reactors in the herd are found as a result of a failure to properly isolate a reactor or IR.

Defra and Welsh Government have also recently undertaken consultations on their TB Orders.

The Scottish Government is committed to a comprehensive, practical and proportionate programme of actions that will help maintain Scotland's current low levels of TB and safeguard our Officially TB Free status. Therefore, it was considered whether there is scope to implement further TB control measures that will encourage farmers to follow good farming practices in order to keep disease out of their herds.

Responses to the Consultation