NFU Complaint Follows bTB Comment
UK - The National Farmers Union (NFU) President has written a formal letter of complaint to the Defra Secretary of State after an appearance by Natural England’s executive director for Science on the BBC Farming Today programme.
1 September 2011
1 minute read
Peter Kendall sent the letter to Caroline Spelman after Andrew Wood appeared on the programme on Thursday 25 August to discuss Natural England’s formal response to government proposals on badger controls.
Speaking about the letter, Mr Kendall said: “It was already bad enough that Natural England had submitted an extremely unhelpful response to the consultation on issuing licences to cull badgers. But for an official of the agency charged with delivering government policy to appear on the radio arguing against government policy is in my view unacceptable."
“The ultimate aim, to eradicate bTB, will require concerted working from all parties. I have asked the Secretary of State to ensure that all government agencies work towards this objective.”
Natural England is the authority that would oversee the licensing for Defra’s proposed TB controls.
It has raised a number of concerns over Defra's proposed badger cull. It believes that a "long-term solution which involves an integrated and multi-faceted approach that tackles the disease in both cattle and badgers provides the best hope of effectively controlling the disease."
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