Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to introduce a formal tuberculosis testing regime for camelids.

James Paice MP; Minister of State: There is no mandatory TB surveillance programme for camelids because they are not regarded as significant reservoirs of TB infection for other species.

Surveillance for TB infection in camelids in Great Britain relies primarily on notifications of suspected cases detected during post mortem examination by private veterinarians and Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) regional laboratories. Owners and their private veterinarians are under legal obligation to notify such cases to AHVLA.

In March, AHVLA reported the results of research funded by the British Alpaca Society, the British Llama Society and British Camelids Ltd into the validation of “ante mortem” TB tests in camelids. DEFRA officials are in discussion with the industry on how these tests can best be deployed within the present TB surveillance programme.