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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made on the effect of preventable disease on the (a) health, (b) welfare, (c) productivity and (d) sustainability of agriculture.

Improving animal health through addressing endemic diseases will improve the welfare of livestock and reduce the need to use antibiotics. It can also significantly improve productivity on farm; endemic livestock diseases are estimated to cost the English livestock industry between £290 million and £710 million per year.

Improving animal health will contribute to the UK five-year action plan for tackling anti-microbial resistance and the 25 Year Environment Plan commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.