Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 2:45 pm on 28 September 2022.
I wanted to start with TB. The latest statistics on the number of infections in Wales are to be welcomed. The absolute numbers are reducing and we've see infections halving in number over the past 12 years here. But, the less encouraging news is that infections have started to appear in new areas of Wales, such as north Conwy and Denbighshire, and there are concerns that it's coming into Pennal in south Meirionnydd. You will know as well as anyone else of the huge damage that TB does not only to the livestock but also to the mental health of everyone related to the livestock, be it a farmer or a farrier.
If we are to prevent TB, then we must prevent it from spreading. Measures must be taken to prevent it from getting to new areas and limiting it where it already exists. The key to that is education and support. So, it's concerning to hear that the numbers using the Cymorth TB Cymru support service are very low, whilst in England there's great praise for the TB Advisory Service, with high numbers of users. I know that the Minister is aware of TBAS, so what lessons has she learned from the TBAS programme, what good practice will she adopt from it, and what steps is the Minister taking in order to identify why the numbers using Cymorth TB Cymru are so low, and how will we see an increase in the rates of use?