I want to thank the committee for what is an interesting report. I remember being elected in 2007, and there were serious concerns around bovine TB in Wales then, but the data shows how far we have come. There’s a new picture now, as the Minister put it in her most recent statement. New herd incidents are down 56 per cent since 2008, and we’ve got here by the Government and also the farming industry working together and following the science. Higher sensitivity testing particularly has been crucial. There’s a long way to go, of course, but this report is another helpful signpost on the road to eradication. And we all want to get there, of course, as fast as possible.

As RSPCA Cymru noted in their evidence,

'the disease is primarily spread between cattle', with cattle movements the main risk in the transmission. So, the evidence on veterinary personnel and resources is especially important, and I look forward to an update on the lay testers pilot in due course.

As Dr Gareth Enticott from Cardiff University explained to the committee, the introduction of lay tests could particularly help to retain vets in the Mid and West Wales area. Staying in my region, the committee didn’t hear about the pilot project for Pembrokeshire, but the Minister mentioned it in her statement, and it would be good to have more details, please, perhaps after the first formal meeting at the Pembrokeshire show.

Likewise, the committee heard a bit about badger vaccination, but not cattle. In November, Wales’s chief veterinary officer said, and I quote,

'We continue to support the development of a deployable cattle TB vaccine with a test to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals to be in place by 2025.'

'Cattle vaccination has the potential to become a powerful tool in the battle against the disease and we will be engaging with the TB Centre of Excellence to plan its most appropriate deployment in Wales.'

So, again, I ask for an update on that. But I’m really pleased to have taken part in this debate, and I look forward to listening to others.