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Bovine Tuberculosis in Cattle and Badgers: Q and A

FROM THE BADGER TRUST:
1 July 2011

I am writing to ask again for your help.  You will no doubt have seen reports in the press that it is anticipated that Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary, will recommend that badgers be culled in England to curb bovine tuberculosis (bTB).  The article which appeared in the Sunday Times on 26th June 2011 goes on to say "The policy, which follows a public consultation, will be put to the cabinet for approval in the next ten days.". 

If this report is correct, we feel that it is imperative that as many people as possible make a concerted effort to write to members of the cabinet to express their views on the culling (killing) of badgers.  We have not yet received the results of the public consultation - these were originally promised for February 2011, delayed to May and then further delayed to July coupled with reports that the Government is worried about a legal challenge from Badger Trust.  Despite not knowing the results of the consultation, we feel very strongly indeed that the weight of public opinion is against the unwarranted slaughter of thousands of healthy badgers.  Their deaths will not make a significant difference to the incidence of bTB and in some instances might even make the situation worse. To assist you to write an appropriate letter, if you go to our Website (www.badgertrust.org.uk), and then open the following link: Q and A you will find a fact sheet of questions and answers on bovine TB which we hope will prove helpful.  

The following is a list of the members of the cabinet.  We suggest that if you are a constituent of any of them, you could address your letter to that minister but otherwise you could write to David Cameron, Nick Clegg or Caroline Spelman or of course, any you wish to correspond with.  The postal address is House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A  0AA unless otherwise stated or you can search on-line for e-mail addresses.

David Cameron, Prime Minister, Con., Witney, Oxfordshire.
Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, LD, Sheffield Hallam, Yorks.
George Osborne, Chancellor, Con., Tatton, Cheshire.
Theresa May, Home Secretary, Con., Maidenhead, Berks.
William Hague, Foreign Secretary., Con., Richmond, Yorks.
Vince Cable, Business Secretary, LD, Twickenham, London,
Eric Pickles, Communities Secretary, Con., Brentwood and Ongar, Essex.
Baroness Warsi, Conservative Party Chairman. (House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW).
Jeremy Hunt, Culture Secretary, Con., South West Surrey.
Dr. Liam Fox, Defence Secretary, Con., North Somerset.
Michael Gove, Education Secretary, Con., Surrey Heath.
Chris Huhne, Energy & Climate Change, LOD, Eastleigh, Hants.
Caroline Spelman, Environment Secretary, Con., Meriden, West Midlands.
Andrew Lansley, Health Secretary, Con., South Cambridgeshire.
Andrew Mitchell, International Development Secretary, Con., Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands
Lord Strathclyde, Leader of the Lords, Con. (House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW).
Ken Clarke, Lord Chancellor, Con., Rushcliffe, Notts.
Owen Patterson, Northern Ireland Secretary, Con., North Shropshire.
Michael Moore, Scottish Secretary, LD, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk.
Danny Alexander, Treasurery Secretary, LD, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey.
Phil Hammond, Transport Secretary, Con., Runneymede and Weybridge, Surrey.
Cheryl Gillan, Welsh Secretary, Con., Chesham and Amersham, Bucks.
Iain Duncan Smith, Work & Pensions Secretary, Con., Chingford and Woodford Green, Essex.

The following people also attend cabinet meetings:

Francis Maude, Paymaster General, Con., Horsham, West Sussex.
Oliver Letwin, Minister of State, Cabinet Office, Con., West Dorset.
David Willetts, Minister of State, Business Innovation & Skills, Con., Havant, Hants.
Sir George Young, Leader of House of Commons, Con, North West Hampshire.
Patrick McLoughlin, Parliamentary Secretary to Treasury and Chief Whip, Con, Derbyshire Dales.

 Dominic Grieve, Attorney General, Con., Beaconsfield, Bucks. (Invited to attend cabinet meetings when required).

By working together, we can make a difference but time is of the essence on this occasion.  We literally have just a few days to write and send our letters (probably less than a week).  Please forward this e-mail to all your e-mail contacts asking them if they will support us by writing a letter - every single letter will help to influence the situation.  

Thank you very much for reading this and for your support which is much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Dave Williams,
Chairman, Badger Trust.

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