Minister, you mention in your statement a 48 per cent decrease in new TB incidents since 2009, but I'd be interested to know what the statistics say about the re-occurrence of the disease within infected herds and how many herds have been classified as TB free after a prolonged period of being under restrictions. Preventing new herds from catching the disease is important, but for those farmers who have long been under TB restrictions, they are the ones bearing the brunt of the economic and mental impact of the disease, and they must not be forgotten about. And whilst I'm grateful for your statement this afternoon, it does come after 13 years of policy that has made slow progress in achieving the ultimate goal of Wales being recognised as an officially TB-free region in the UK.

If I may, I'd like to touch on three specific points in responding to your statement: vaccines, testing and compensation. Your update on the progress Wales is making in establishing a vaccination scheme will, I'm sure, be cautiously welcomed by the sector. However, we must be honest with the agricultural industry: a vaccine will not stop the disease dead in its tracks. If the global pandemic has taught us anything, it's that, even with the common use of a vaccine, a disease can remain prevalent and be transmitted, even if at a lower number. A cattle vaccine will see farmers continue to combat the possible presence of bovine TB in their herd. Therefore, it's important that we aren't presenting the vaccine as the silver bullet to end bovine TB. However, it certainly can be another tool at our disposal. And whilst I welcome the news that the Welsh Government is going to continue to support the development of a deployable cattle TB vaccine, this mustn't hide the fact that we remain several years away from a viable programme—that's at least four years where TB continues to infect our cattle, killing off our livestock and damaging yet another generation of family businesses.

In order to mitigate this, we have to be innovative and ambitious in our testing regime. That means expanding upon the Welsh Government's current testing regime and optimising some of the industry alternatives that are currently available. We already know that the current Welsh Government-endorsed skin test provides false negatives, and this is noted in the refreshed TB eradication programme, as it states it is not possible to fully eliminate the risk of TB spreading through undetected infection. But, by improving testing, it will reduce the number of undetected infections. You mention in your statement that the new consultation will seek views on testing protocols, however no mention on the tests used. I'd like further information from you on the roll-out of these new tests, including Enferplex and IDEXX, to remove false negatives from skin-fold testing.

Finally, compensation. I was concerned to read that the TB payments budget has forecast a £7 million overspend by the end of this financial year. This is a budget that has seen overspend every year since 2015-16. Had the Welsh Government addressed bovine TB, tackled the root cause of the disease sooner, then the overspends would not have happened, as the disease would not have been allowed to spread into all four corners of Wales, seeing 10,000-plus cattle slaughtered in the last 12 months alone.

Minister, I reiterate that we must take strategic long-term decisions when it comes to tackling the impact of this disease. It is irresponsible to not properly fund the compensation scheme to farmers, complain about an overspend and look at ways of reducing payouts to compensate for loss of livestock rather than focus on sustainable ways to reduce the spread of the disease in the first place. I note with interest the three options that are being suggested by the Welsh Government, and, whilst any compensation scheme must reflect value for money for taxpayers, it is just as vital that we settle on a scheme that provides a fair and proportionate TB payment to cattle keepers. I await with interest the outcome of the consultation next spring, but I am worried that we are focusing on how much money can be saved rather than fixing the problem, which is bovine TB.

Minister, you make reference to TB champions in your statement. Could I ask you reconsider this phrasing, please? No-one wishes to champion such a deadly disease, which has caused so much turmoil to farmers across Wales.

Should we want to tackle bovine TB, we must seek to improve the quality of our testing regime, continue to invest in a vaccine roll-out project, and ensure that our farmers are fittingly supported. Minister, you're correct when you say collaboration and partnership are key, but this must be met with equal measures by Welsh Government. And so I urge you, let's not let another 13 years pass; let's work urgently with the industry to implement a full and comprehensive TB eradication strategy that rids Wales of this hideous disease in our cattle and wildlife once and for all. Diolch.