English: I thank you for your statement, Cabinet Secretary, and I do welcome some elements and I will be raising concerns about others. The intensive action area - the IAA - does lie within the region that I've represented for 10 years now, so I know only too well what a blight bovine TB is, and the disease has been a chronic and malign affliction for many farmers for many, many years. I am encouraged, however, that the incidence of bTB in the IAA has declined by 35 per cent. That's 12 per cent more than the comparable in nearby areas. That seems to suggest to me that the measures currently being taken are, indeed, having a very positive effect, and I welcome that you've decided to take a different approach to the shambolic policy pursued in parts of England. I do have reservations, however, and I hope that you will be able to reassure me on a number of points. Members in this Chamber will be aware of my past position on this issue, and I've spoken from and voted in line with the scientific evidence. The only credible evidence that we have regarding badger culling and its impact on the spread of bovine TB is from the 10-year randomised badger culling trials conducted by Lord Krebs. It concluded that in order to have even a modest reduction in bTB, 70 per cent of the badger population in an area no smaller than 150 sq km must be eradicated, and that this must be done in a short period of time - that's about six weeks every single year. But it also goes on to say that if too many badgers are killed, there is a high risk of local extinction and that, indeed, did happen in some areas of the Irish Republic. It also goes on to say that if you don't kill enough badgers, you risk perturbation, and that spreads the disease even further and wider. So, my question has to be, Cabinet Secretary: how does the proposed action of trapping and terminating diseased badgers, and possibly microchipping them, stack up against those Krebs recommendations, and how is it actually going to make any difference whatsoever? You know my views on badger culling, and I will repeat them yet again; I will not support it. I also want to raise other questions about the spread of bTB in relation to slurry on farms. I do understand that grazing on land where manure and slurry is spread is not recommended for two months, and that is because the infection can stay within the manure and slurry for up to six months. Can you clarify then whether it is compulsory for all manure and slurry to be stored for six months prior to spreading? And would you consider enforcing the two-month grazing moratorium that is currently recommended? My final point that I want to ask is: what other assessments have you made about the potential spread to cattle of bTB from foxhounds? Twenty five foxhounds from the Kimblewick hunt tested positive for bTB earlier this year. I don't know whether we've done anything in Wales in terms of testing foxhounds in Wales, but what I do know is that there are around 20 hunts in west Wales. Do you not think, therefore, Cabinet Secretary, that it might be actually prudent to suspend all hunting with hounds until at least the risks are properly assessed?
Welsh: Rwy'n diolch i chi am eich datganiad, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, ac rwyf i'n croesawu rhai elfennau ynddo a byddaf yn codi pryderon am rai eraill. Mae'r ardal triniaeth ddwys - yr IAA - yn cwympo o fewn y rhanbarth yr wyf wedi ei gynrychioli ers 10 mlynedd erbyn hyn, felly rwyf i'n gwybod yn iawn cymaint o falltod yw TB buchol, ac mae'r clefyd wedi bod yn flinder cronig a niweidiol i lawer o ffermwyr am flynyddoedd lawer. Rwyf wedi fy nghalonogi, er hynny, fod nifer yr achosion o TB buchol yn yr IAA wedi gostwng 35 y cant. Mae hynny'n 12 y cant yn fwy na'r ffigur mewn ardaloedd cyfagos. Mae hynny'n awgrymu i mi bod y mesurau sy'n cael eu gweithredu ar hyn o bryd, yn wir, yn cael effaith gadarnhaol iawn, ac rwy'n croesawu eich bod wedi penderfynu gweithredu'n wahanol i'r polisi di-drefn sydd ar mewn rhannau o Loegr. Mae gennyf i amheuon, fodd bynnag, ac rwy'n gobeithio y byddwch yn gallu tawelu fy meddwl o ran nifer o bwyntiau. Bydd aelodau yn y Siambr hon yn ymwybodol o'm safbwynt ar y mater hwn yn y gorffennol, ac rwyf wedi siarad a phleidleisio yn unol â'r dystiolaeth wyddonol. Daw'r unig dystiolaeth gredadwy sydd gennym o ran difa moch daear a'i effaith ar ledaeniad TB buchol o'r treialon difa moch daear a gynhaliwyd ar hap am 10 mlynedd gan Arglwydd Krebs. Daethpwyd i'r casgliad bod yn rhaid, er mwyn cael hyd yn oed gostyngiad bach mewn TB buchol, lladd 70 y cant o boblogaeth moch daear mewn ardal heb fod yn llai na 150 cilomedr sgwâr, a bod yn rhaid i hynny gael ei wneud mewn cyfnod byr o amser - dyna inni tua chwe wythnos bob blwyddyn. Ond mae hefyd yn mynd ymlaen i ddweud, os caiff gormod o foch daear eu lladd, fod yna risg uchel o'u difodiant yn lleol ac, yn wir, fe ddigwyddodd hynny mewn rhai ardaloedd o Weriniaeth Iwerddon. Mae hefyd yn mynd ymlaen i ddweud, os nad ydych chi'n lladd digon o foch daear, rydych mewn perygl o aflonyddu a gwasgaru, ac mae hynny'n lledaenu'r clefyd ymhellach ac yn ehangach, hyd yn oed. Felly, mae'n rhaid i mi ofyn cwestiwn, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet: sut y mae'r camau arfaethedig i ddal a difa moch daear sydd wedi'u heintio, a gosod microsglodyn ynddyn nhw o bosibl, yn dal dŵr o'u cymharu â'r argymhellion hynny gan Krebs, a sut y gall hynny mewn gwirionedd wneud unrhyw wahaniaeth o gwbl? Rydych chi'n ymwybodol o fy safbwyntiau i ar ddifa moch daear, ac fe ddywedaf unwaith yn rhagor; nid fyddaf yn ei gefnogi. Rwyf hefyd yn awyddus i godi cwestiynau eraill am ledaeniad TB buchol mewn cysylltiad â slyri ar ffermydd. Rwy'n deall nad yw pori ar dir lle mae tail a slyri wedi e'i daenu yn cael ei argymell am ddau fis, a hynny oherwydd bod yr haint yn gallu aros mewn tail a slyri am hyd at chwe mis. A wnewch chi egluro felly a ydyw'n orfodol i storio'r holl dail a slyri am chwe mis cyn gwasgaru? A fyddech yn ystyried gorfodi'r moratoriwm ar bori am ddau fis fel yr argymhellir ar hyn o bryd? Y pwynt olaf sydd gennyf i'w ofyn yw: pa asesiadau eraill yr ydych chi wedi eu gwneud ynghylch lledaeniad TB buchol i wartheg gan gŵn hela? Roedd pump ar hugain o gŵn hela o helfa Kimblewick wedi cael prawf positif am TB buchol yn gynharach eleni. Nid wyf yn gwybod a ydym wedi gwneud unrhyw beth yng Nghymru ynglŷn â phrofi cŵn hela yng Nghymru, ond mi wn fod oddeutu 20 o helfeydd yng ngorllewin Cymru. Onid ydych chi'n meddwl, felly, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet, y gallai hi fod yn beth doeth mewn gwirionedd i atal hela â chŵn hyd nes i'r risgiau gael eu hasesu'n iawn o leiaf?