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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce incidents of swine dysentery; and if she will make a statement.

The government works closely with the farming industry and other partners on endemic disease to enable the industry to take the lead, which is an important component of any disease control scheme. APHA is in regular contact with industry about the recent outbreaks and has issued information on the disease which is available at http://apha.defra.gov.uk/documents/surveillance/diseases/swine-dysentery.pdf.

In addition, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) funds surveillance of multiple pig diseases, including Swine Dysentery, and publishes quarterly reports on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pig-gb-disease-surveillance-and-emerging-threats-report-2019). The APHA has also participated in research into antimicrobial resistance and characterisation of Brachyspira hyodyseneriae, the bacteria known to cause Swine Dysentery.