Welsh Government Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board Meeting: 11 March 2026

The meeting was held on Wednesday 11 March at NFU Cymru Office, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells. 

Sharon Hammond: Chair
Glyn Hewinson: Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Chair
Phil Thomas
Alan Gardner 
Elin Jones
Gemma Haines
Tori Morgan
Richard Irvine (Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales)
APHA official
APHA official
WG Official
WG Official
WG Secretariat
Linda Jones (online)
Sian Evans (online)
Elgan Thomas (online)
APHA official (online)

• the Chair and Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) opened the meeting and welcomed participants
• apologies were received from Roger Lewis and Alan Huxtable (APHA)

• a Welsh Government (WG) representative provided an update on communications, confirming that both the board’s position paper and the written ministerial statement would be published at 09:30
• the written statement will summarise the activities undertaken over the past year
• all press enquiries for the board should be referred to official communication channels
• the Deputy First Minister (DFM) was scheduled to answer oral questions that afternoon, possibly including the position paper and written statement
• the official TB statistics are set to be published next week. Development of the TBHub and Welsh Government websites is ongoing
• concerns were raised about APHA delivery, especially farmer dissatisfaction, and this will be formally communicated to APHA by the Chair
• the group discussed Multi Species Wales and ibTB coordination, including plans for upcoming presentations and updates

The Chair set out the proposed programme for work for 2026. This includes:

• the June meeting will focus on finalising wildlife advice for the incoming Minister
• stakeholder engagement for the board is scheduled for July 20^th at the Royal Welsh Show, as well as participation in various summer events and shows
• the new Minister will be invited to attend the PB/TAG joint meeting, following the AberTB conference, on September 17th
• further engagement is planned for the Winter Fair in November
• the December session will address movement and testing, enhanced management, a review of year two progress of the board, and planning for 2027

The board engaged in a detailed conversation about its guidance on wildlife, covering the following points:

• a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis will be conducted, with particular attention given to budgetary considerations
• awaiting data to ensure any intervention is evidence-based
• inclusion of wildlife representation on the board is required
• it is necessary to identify pilot areas for intervention as soon as possible in order to initiate project activities
• the board reviewed area-specific intervention strategies, including the use of England’s cluster template and potential mapping of clusters using epidemiological and local knowledge
• support was expressed for increased cattle testing in hotspot regions and for differentiating between minor and serious infections
• methods for tracking epidemiological changes were considered, with an emphasis on robust data and evidence-based recommendations
• APHA was requested to begin mapping interventions implemented in England for possible adaptation in Wales, covering both wildlife and cattle concerns
• discussions included cross-border data sharing, improved communication among vets, delivery partners, and farmers, and the proposal of appointing a “TB Tsar”
• the board debated pursuing either a single holistic policy or multiple updates throughout the year
• the Chair will share the previous RAG spreadsheet outlining initial priorities

• the TAG Chair provided an update to the board about ongoing work related to movements and testing
• a full report is scheduled to be presented at the June meeting
• the TAG Chair explained the various types of testing involved
• it was highlighted that excessive testing may affect responses
• longer intervals between tests could be more beneficial

The Chair led the quarterly statistic report with input from APHA colleagues.

• no further business was raised
• the next meeting of the board will be on 2 June in Cardiff

1. Invite the new Minister to attend upcoming Programme Board (PB) meetings and events.
2. Patrick to be contacted for Wildlife Trust details.
3. Check agreement attendance requirements for members.
4. Provide an update on APHA letters and digitisation at next meeting.
5. Chair to draft a letter to APHA about communication concerns.
6. Alan (APHA) to include comms update in quarterly report.
7. Consider developing an APHA online portal for archiving communications.
8. MSW and ibTB to coordinate and update progress.
9. ibTB super user group to present at next Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting; update to be provided to next PB.
10. APHA to begin mapping England's interventions for adaptation in Wales.
11. Rachelle to send Chair a form for cattle and wildlife information request.
12. Chair to set up Task and Finish group and share drafts.
13. Invite new Wildlife Trust member to join Task and Finish (T&F) group.
14. Secretariat to summarise wildlife themes and produce two documents (wildlife discussion and minutes).
15. Chair to share previous RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rating spreadsheet outlining initial priorities.