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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what independent veterinary evidence she has sought from outside her Department on the effects on badger cubs of moving the proposed badger cull from autumn 2015 to June 2015.

No decision has yet been taken on the start dates for culling in 2015. It is for the cull companies to decide when they wish to start, and the current four year licences for the two existing cull areas allow culling of badgers from 1 June onwards. This is based on previous advice that badger cubs are weaned and independent by 1 June.

An estimate of the minimum number of badgers to be removed from each cull area has not yet been finalised.