Contribution
It is an absolute pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dame Siobhain, and to see you in your place once again. I thank the hon. Member for South Norfolk (Ben Goldsborough) for leading the debate on this important issue. I also see the chair of the all-party parliamentary group, the hon. Member for York Outer (Mr Charters), in his place, and I look forward to his contribution. It used to be the eggs, pigs and poultry APPG, and then it was elevated to biodiversity, which I hope was a positive move in the right direction—I always thought eggs, pigs and poultry were more exciting, but that is by the way.
The remit for biosecurity is shared across Government, and the Cabinet Office leads on cross-cutting strategy and preparation. However, some policies on biosecurity are devolved and fall under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs back home in Northern Ireland, so it is important that we discuss these things here in their totality.
I commend the Minister—I am glad to see him in his place—because one of the first things he did when Labour got into power was go to all of the regions of the United Kingdom. I admire him for that, because it showed a Minister who clearly wanted to discuss matters with all the regions in an integrated way. When I make a contribution about Northern Ireland, I know that the Minister will respond positively with the answers, which we look forward to getting. It is also nice to see the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Epping Forest (Dr Hudson), in his place; I wish him well in his new role. I am also pleased to see the Lib Dem spokesperson, the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke), in her new role on the Front Bench. The hon. Lady usually sits here with the Back Benchers but, for today at least, she has been elevated. I look forward to her contribution as well.
I represent a largely costal and rural constituency and have a fantastic relationship—I believe, anyway—with many local fishermen and farmers. I live on a farm on the Ards peninsula—I declare an interest as a member of the Ulster Farmers Union—and, coming from that background, I understand the importance of our biodiversity policies and the methods that must be used to protect against disease.
I want to mention the examples of what has happened back home with avian influenza and tuberculosis to show why biodiversity is so important. There are several notable diseases of concern within the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland. These include avian influenzas, bluetongue, African swine fever and TB. I was grateful to meet with Paul Stewart some time ago, the centre manager of Castle Espie, a wetland centre just outside Comber in my constituency. The centre, which is run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, is absolutely incredible. It is fantastic for observing and discovering wildlife, and it hosts incredible events for people of all ages. It is very much a must-see venue.
Unfortunately, the centre had to temporarily close due to the confirmed presence of avian influenza. The discovery of a suspect case led to a 1.9 mile—3 km—temporary disease control zone being erected around the wetland reserve. That was absolutely tragic, but they are now out the other side. The avian influenza has been controlled and is no longer there. I am pleased to say the centre has now reopened with a disease prevention strategy in place. I believe that is incredibly important for the protection of the birds, staff and visitors, and everyone in and around the area.
Only days ago, DAERA commenced a review of Northern Ireland’s approach to tackling bovine TB back home. It is a deadly disease that farmers are always at their wits’ end worrying about. Around 10% of herds across Northern Ireland are affected by the disease, which cost the public purse some £55.7 million in 2023-24. My neighbours had a case of TB—they are dairy people and milk more than 170 cattle, and also have beef livestock and calves. They had an outbreak of TB. It affected some 40 of their cattle—not all of them, thank goodness, but it still had an incredible effect on the farmer.
It is always had to quantify this, but I know farmers, and I know my neighbour, and I know how hard he works. To see those 40 calves going away in the lorry to be destroyed—I could see the ache in his heart, which cannot be quantified. Farmers do not just raise their livestock and do all the things they do on their farm to necessarily make money; they have a love of their livestock, as my neighbour clearly has. Furthermore, £36.5 million, almost two thirds of that total of £55.7 million, was paid in compensation to farmers for the removal of animals. It is good that that happens, but it underlines how deadly that disease can be.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union has said that the review that has now been undertaken contains “no meaningful action” to address the bovine TB crisis in Northern Ireland. On Saturday morning, the Ulster Farmers’ Union expressed concerns in Farmers Weekly on behalf of its members: the farmers. Has the Minister had any discussions with the Minister back home on bovine TB and how it can be eradicated? I am ever mindful that farming is a devolved matter, and therefore the Minister here will have no say in what happens. However, the hon. Member for South Norfolk tells me that he has had constructive discussions with the Department back home, so it would be interesting to hear what is happening on that.