Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to expedite the validation procedures for the examination of data relating to the introduction of Actiphage novel technology to provide a new test for bovine TB among cattle.

Defra has explained the steps in the validation process and offered assistance with sample collection and scientific advice to all manufacturers of potential tests for TB in cattle and other species of interest. To date, the makers of the Actiphage test have not put forward a proposal to validate their test to the standards required by the OIE, the international organisation for animal health.