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Labour questions Defra on badger cull expansion
Labour MP David Drew has accused Defra of ignoring ‘an evidence-based, scientific approach’.

David Drew MP accuses government of ignoring scientific evidence 

The Labour party has written to Defra asking for clarification on why the government has decided to significantly expand the badger cull.

In an open letter, shadow Defra minister David Drew said that he was surprised that the government had increased the cull to a further 11 areas. ‘You appear to have done so without any consultation of statement providing the rationale for such a dramatic move,’ he said.

In the letter, Mr Drew - Labour MP for Stroud - accuses Defra of ignoring ‘an evidence-based, scientific approach’, adding that it had ‘fallen back upon the tried, tested and failed policy of culling’. He calls on Mr Eustice to provide clarity on what new scientific evidence there is that the cull has been a success.

He writes: ‘The only academic study I can find is the paper by Brunt et al in the journal Ecology and Evolution. Their general conclusion is that it is far too early to be able to derive any meaningful data let alone evidence from the first two years of study.’

Mr Drew also questions what happens to badger carcasses that are collected after being dispatched. ‘Why has no attempt been been made to investigate what percentage of those animals were carrying bovine TB?’ He said. ‘Surely if only cattle carcasses are studied that is one one side of the equation’.

He asks Defra what other reservoirs of bovine TB in the wildlife population are being studied for the incidence of the disease. Furthermore, as cattle to cattle transmission of the disease remains the prime cause, he questions what plans are in place to deal with this aspect of the problem.

Defra announced last week that it would be granting 11 additional licences for badger control to parts of Devon, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and Cheshire. The update followed a consultation on licensed badger control to which the BVA, BVZS and the Association of Government Veterinarians submitted a formal, joint response.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.