May I say at the outset that I welcome the statement that confirms the actions currently being taken, and in light of the previous statement by the Minister, which has also been supported in general terms by Plaid Cymru? Of course, at their core, these issues relate to public health on the one hand and animal welfare on the other, and Plaid Cymru is of the view that we need to treat animal welfare—the cattle suffering from TB as much as the welfare of badgers. And in addition to dealing with infected animals, whatever species that animal will be, we welcome the steps being taken and outlined in this statement. I also hope that it will actually do something to lift the shadow currently cast over the industry. Although the Cabinet Secretary has said that the number of herds suffering from bovine TB is reducing, certainly the impact in many parts of Wales is being felt very deeply indeed.

I’m not going to reiterate Paul Davies’s questions—he asked most of the questions that I wanted to ask—but I will just say that I also welcome your responses to the questions on informed purchasing, as it’s known, the internal market, and what happens between pedigree herds too.

One question that I think Paul Davies did refer to, and I wanted to raise, but you didn’t have an opportunity to respond to, and perhaps you could respond to my question, is that although we recognise that we wouldn’t want information to emerge on where action is being taken in terms of wildlife, how can we be assured not only that it’s being monitored and being done in the most beneficial way possible, or the most humane way possible, but that we should also understand whether this is working and whether it has assisted in reducing instances of bovine TB in those areas and on those specific farms, as your statement states, where it’s been chronic for a long period of time?

I will just move on to two or three new questions. One of them emerges from the fact that you’ve said clearly that one of the reasons for introducing a cap is to make savings. You mentioned savings of around £200,000 per annum, which does raise the question: what happens once we have left the European Union? We now know of those dates and we’re not sure what kind of trading will take place, but in this context we will no longer be part of the European Union system. So, can you confirm today that you will keep Government expenditure on this disease at its current level, at least until the end of this Assembly, so that this gives the right message to the industry that you want to work with them and that the cap, if you like, is a price worth paying because funding will still be spent in order to reduce and eradicate this disease?

The second question arising, in welcoming the fact that you have expanded the testing of animals found dead, there is talk of the introduction of a new species to the Welsh wildlife system. The otter has been mentioned [Translation should read: 'beaver'], and I know that there are some specific proposals to introduce the beaver to parts of mid Wales. I am informed that the beaver can carry this disease, so what assurances can you give us in this context that no new species introduced to our rural areas could spread this disease?

I do hope that farmers and the Government will work together to ensure that the new-look programme will be successful. I very much hope that we will see a reduction in the number of herds infected but also in the way that this disease is spread in the hotspots, as they’re known, in Wales. I just wanted to ask: when would you be willing to review whether the three areas that you have in Wales are doing the job that you expect of them, and when will you review this to see if this plan is working or not?