Bovine TB Technical Advisory Group for Wales: 9 October 2024

Glyn Hewinson, chair 
Dai Grove-White, member
Gareth Edwards, member
Gareth Enticott, member
Gwenllian Rees, member
Ifan Lloyd, member
Keith Cutler, member
Robert Smith, member
Sarah Tomlinson, member
Sarah Woollatt, member
Richard Irvine, Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales
Secretariat 
Minute taker

Animal and Plant Health Agency representatives
National Farmers Union Cymru representatives
Farmers Union for Wales representative
Iechyd da representative
Mentera representative
Welsh Government officials

Chair welcomed members to the meeting and thanked them for giving up their time, expertise and their timely and valuable work from the previous meetings.

The Chair conveyed apologies from the APHA representative and the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales for not being able to attend in-person.

The Chair updated the group on:

• The introduction of the shared workspace.
• The establishment of the TB Programme Board. The TAG’s next meeting on 23rd January will be a joint meeting with the TB Programme Board and will review the Bovine TB eradication 6 yearly targets.
• Conflicts of interests. No additional ones were declared.

Chair confirmed minutes from previous meetings agreed.

Chair updated the TAG on actions from the previous meeting.

Future meetings confirmed as follows: 

• Thursday 23rd January 2025
• Thursday 10th April 2025
• Thursday 10th July 2025
• Thursday 16th October 2025

An update on TB skin test data sharing was presented to TAG on behalf of the Welsh Government by a Welsh Government Veterinarian and Statistician which addressed:

• what could be provided to keepers now and the risks
• what could be provided to stakeholder organisations now and the risks
• what could be provided given appropriate governance and data protection measures
• what could be provided in the future

Members had the opportunity for a questions and answer session following the presentation.

The Chair offered thanks for the clear and valuable presentation, and the TAG’s engagement with a complex topic. 

Representatives from APHA introduced themselves and delivered a presentation on potential epidemiological support that they could provide to TAG which covered:

• retrospective tools that use existing data and literature
• forward-looking tools including modelling of bovine TB and the impact of control interventions.
• designing randomised controlled trials
• tools for evidence based case management
• emerging tools and Novel uses of existing tools
• molecular epidemiology

The chair thanked APHA for attending and delivering a helpful and insightful presentation. 

A member of TAG presented a proposal for creating a classification system for TB breakdowns at the individual and herd level as a way of better communicating disease risk to farmers and vets.

Members discussed the concept and agreed that this should be taken forward through a workshop with stakeholders to co-create a suitable classification system.

The Chair thanked all for contributing to the discussion and the member for bringing the proposal to the group. 

A member of TAG presented a proposal to explore what further role industry and government could play in TB eradication.

• carry out a workshop with stakeholders to brainstorm ideas

Members discussed the concept and agreed the next step should be to hold a workshop with stakeholders to explore the issue further and advised that this should not be government led.

The Chair thanked all for productive discussions and the member for bringing the proposal to the group. 

Welsh Government officials and the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales introduced the topic and provided background to current policies. 

Representatives from both Iechyd da and Mentera attended to present their views on Inconclusive Reactor policies and answer questions from members.

The Chair thanked both Iechyd da and Mentera for their contributions to the discussion and emphasised the importance of veterinary contributions to the Technical Advisory Group’s considerations. 

A representative from the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) discussed the paper they had submitted to the TAG on inconclusive reactor policy and answered questions from members.

The Chair thanked FUW for their valuable contribution and for attending.

Representatives from the National Farmers Union Cymru (NFU Cymru) discussed the paper they had submitted to the TAG on inconclusive reactor policy and answered questions from members.

The Chair thanked NFU Cymru their valuable contribution and for attending. 

A representative from APHA presented the complexities, implications, risks and deliverability of changes to policy.

Members of the TAG raised questions and discussed issues set out in a paper produced by APHA on the implications of changes to IR policy in Wales including differences in policy between Wales and England.

The Chair thanked the APHA representative for the informative presentation.

The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales provided an introduction, also reiterating the independence of the group and the need to balance risk.

Welsh Government officials delivered a presentation on inconclusive reactors including evidence of risk of standard IR’s, resolved standard IR’s, severe IR’s and resolved severe IR’s read under severe interpretation in testing positive at a later date compared with clear testing animals.

Members had the opportunity for a question-and-answer session following the presentation.

The Chair thanked the WG representatives for a very helpful paper which clearly outlined the higher risk associated with standard and severe IR’s.

Members discussed evidence heard and considered potential options whilst taking into account:

• timescales 
• communication
• deliverability
• risk and risk mitigation
• unintended consequences
• evidence of impact (social and scientific)

Members agreed to produce an advice paper on Inconclusive Reactor Policy in Wales for the inaugural TB Programme Board meeting. 

The Chair thanked all for their contribution to this important piece of work.

No other business.

The Inconclusive Reactor advice will be sent to the Programme board for them to consider at their first meeting on 3rd December 2024.

The Chair and Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales thanked members and speakers and closed the meeting. 

Date of next meeting: Thursday 23 January 2025