E-petition 165672 relating to badger culling
This House of Commons Library Debate Pack has been prepared ahead of the Westminster Hall debate on E-petition 165672 on badger culling to be held on Monday 27 March at 4.30pm.
A Westminster Hall debate on ending the badger cull instead of expanding into new areas is scheduled for Monday 27 March 2017 4.30pm. The Member in charge is Paul Flynn MP.
E-petition 165672: End the badger cull instead of expanding to new areasEnd the badger cull instead of expanding to new areas
Since 2013, thousands of badgers have been killed in a Government cull attempting to control bovine TB. Against scientific advice & before a 4 year trial has completed, the government is now expanding the cull to new counties - tens of thousands of healthy badgers could be killed.
Experts in disease control and animal welfare agree that pilot badger culls have proven both ineffective and inhumane. Shooting badgers is also expensive, costing tax-payers some £5,000 per animal. Bovine TB is a serious problem but killing badgers is not the solution, and could actually make the situation worse. It is a costly distraction from an effective solution incorporating vaccination, increased cattle movement control measures and improved testing.
108,319 signatures
Petition closed: 26 February 2017
House of Commons Library Briefing PaperBackground and policy details on the badger cull in England is included in the Library Briefing, Badgers: Culls in England