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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review his policy on badger culling prior to the issuing of any new cull licences; and if he will make a statement.

No review of the badger culling policy will take place this year.

As set out in the Government response to the 2021 bovine TB consultation[1], we are now evolving our approach and gradually moving away from intensive badger culling over the next few years, towards badger vaccination. This will involve restricting cull licenses, with no new intensive cull licenses being issued after 2022, and supplementary badger control licenses being restricted to a maximum of two years. Culling would remain an option where epidemiological assessment indicates that it is needed.

[1] https://consult.defra.gov.uk/bovine-tb-2020/eradication-of-btb-england/