1.  With reference to Press Notice 41 dated 4 November 1998 inviting views from interested parties. The West Surrey Badger Group (WSBG), would like to state that this letter is a supplement to the more detailed paper submitted by the National Federation of Badger Groups, (NFBG) and that the NFBG submission is fully endorsed by us. This letter serves to highlight a number of specific points about which we are concerned and which WSBG wishes to be taken into consideration by the Select Committee.

  2.  The West Surrey Badger Group has been established since 1984 and has represented on average 250 members annually and is affiliated to the NFBG. The group has participated in national surveys and submitted information and evidence for scientific research over the years. The aims of the WSBG is to "Inform, Protect and Advise".

  3.  We record and monitor setts locally and contribute to national information where appropriate. The WSBG also records all reported badger road and rail deaths and persecution incidents.

  4.  The WSBG works closely with the Police, English Nature, the RSPCA, local and County Councils, Wildlife Trusts, both National Trust wardens and Council Rangers and other local wildlife and conservation organisations. We are also involved with schools and other organisations at an educational level. The WSBG offers an advice service to the general public and any of the above organisations that require local information.

  5.  We assist the Police with training sessions and work with them and the RSPCA over persecution incidents. We also use sett records to assist local and County Councils in planning and other issues.

  6.  Although Surrey has not had direct involvement with Bovine TB in cattle in the past, we have recently been aware of a change in the general perception towards badgers. Badger groups are often the first to hear of public concern, over national badger issues that are covered by the media, calls being referred to us by the RSPCA, the Police and Councils etc. We are aware that there is a strong feeling that badgers are being pre-judged in this issue.

  7.  I am a founder member of the WSBG, a current committee member and the current Chairman of the NFBG.

THE WSBG WISHES TO RAISE THE FOLLOWING POINTS

  8.  The fact that the government current plan is to kill tens of thousands of badgers has given rise to the impression that badgers are no longer a protected species.

  9.  That there has been an inbalance of money spent on TB Control as against research. (£16 million per year—TB control, £1.7 million per year research. Professor John Krebs report, para 7.13.2.).

  10. We are very keen to see a more holistic approach to the Bovine Tuberculosis in cattle problem, with issues other than badgers being given equal attention.

  11. We are concerned that a full and comprehensive husbandry research programme should be undertaken with cattle densities, feeding programmes, silage and slurry included, and that overall climate changes should be included in this research. We endorse the principal of producing a "Guidelines on Badgers & Husbandry Methods" paper, which is being prepared by the NFBG Badgers and Farming Advisory Group.

  12. We would like to see the date of the last tuberculin test included on the cattle passports. We are concerned that currently cattle can "slip through" without being TB tested, for an extended period, if they are sold from one herd just before a routine test and arrive in the new herd just after a routine test.

  13. The view of our members is lack of confidence in both the efficacy of the experiment, (reasons fully stated in the NFBG submission) and in the way the government is handling the TB problem as a whole. We are concerned that this experiment would appear to have been given precedence over alternative research and will therefore, be perceived to be the most important.

  14. Our final point is that we are exceedingly worried about policy decisions that may be made at the end of the current experiment. The governments stated policy is not to eradicate badgers from the UK, but if the results of this experiment show that badger culling can reduce TB in cattle, the farming industry will put intense pressure on the government to extend the culling to other areas. Such demands coupled with the effect of farmers taking the law into their own hands and eradicating badgers on their land, could drastically diminish Britain's Status as a final European stronghold for the badger.

13 January 1999