Caroline Spelman has announced that a carefully managed and science-led policy of badger controls would be introduced, commencing with two pilot areas after the 2012 Olympic games.  The aim of the pilot areas is to confirm the effectiveness, humaneness and safety of controlled shooting.

NFU President Peter Kendall said "This is another massive step forward in achieving our end goal of a healthy countryside - both for badgers and cattle.  We must tackle this terrible disease, a disease that sees tens of thousands of cattle destroyed each and every year.  The most recent science shows badger controls are absolutely necessary, together with cattle controls, to get on top of TB.  No other country in the world has successfully tackled this devastating disease without first addressing the reservoir of TB in the wildlife.  However, I want to remind everyone this has never been about eradicating badgers; this is about eradicating disease.  And there are some serious challenges ahead.  But we take this issue extremely seriously and we remain committed to working with Defra and Natural England to deliver an effective TB control plan.  This has never been and will not be a quick fix and we're fully prepared for that".

"Controlling TB in the areas that have high and persistent disease levels will help to save cattle and reduce the risk of TB in other areas of the country that are currently without TB.  That has to be in everyone's best interests".

Between January and August 2011 23,248 cattle were slaughtered in Great Britain following positive TB tests.  Defra statistics show there was a provisional 4.4 per cent increase in the number of new Tb incidents during the same period compared to 2010.