Welsh Government Bovine TB Eradication Programme Board Meeting: 4 December 2025

The meeting was held on Thursday 4 December 2025 at APHA offices, Carmarthen.

Sharon Hammond: Chair
Glyn Hewinson: Technical Advisory Group Chair
Alan Gardner (via MS Teams)
Evan Roberts
Roger Lewis
Gemma Haines
Elin Jenkins (FUW)
Dylan Morgan (NFU Cymru – in place of Tori Morgan) 
Phil Thomas
Elgan Thomas
Linda Jones
Alan Huxtable (APHA) 
Lucia Juskova (APHA)
Richard Irvine (Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales)
Welsh Government official (TB Team)
Welsh Government official (Vet)
Programme Board Secretariat

• the Programme Board Chair and Chief Veterinary Officer welcomed members to the meeting and thanked them for making the journey to Carmarthen
• the Chair conveyed apologies from Nick Collinson and thanked Dylan Morgan for representing NFU Cymru
• the Chair provided feedback on the recent Programme Board event held at the Winter Fair, which went well

• a Welsh Government official provided an update on the current communications campaigns, specifically around the Resolved Standard IR policy and the APHA letters
• feedback toward the Resolved Standard IR policy is broadly supportive when evidence is explained. There may be some queries when restriction notices start being received from January but broadly speaking, farmers welcome the policy 
• the NVL (no visible lesions) letter is undermining the whole testing regime. This needs to be addressed urgently. The letter template has been reviewed but the message is still wrong. It was generally agreed that a letter needs to be sent when lesion is found

• TAG Chair presented a comprehensive paper on wildlife and bovine TB transmission, highlighting the need for a national policy to prevent transmission from wildlife to cattle, and emphasising evidence gaps in Wales; the board discussed the importance of an evidence-based, holistic approach and the necessity of further data, modelling, and stakeholder engagement

• TAG Chair provided a brief, verbal update. Testing and movements are an ongoing theme of discussion with the TAG and a full report will be provided in due course

• the Chair led the board through the final stages of agreeing the TB eradication position paper
• concluding feedback from members was incorporated, and the document was reviewed to ensure it clearly reflects the need for a holistic and partnership‑based approach
• the board also confirmed that the paper makes explicit reference to the requirements of the World Organisation for Animal Health
• members reached agreement on both the wording and the overall strategic direction. The Chair noted that publication and subsequent engagement will require careful political handling, given the sensitivities surrounding the programme and its stakeholders

• APHA representative presented the quarterly report on herd testing, persistent breakdowns, gamma interferon testing, and removal times, noting that key metrics remain stable and the optional delayed removal process for reactors is functioning well; the board reviewed feedback and discussed cost-benefit analysis and operational improvements

• the board discussed the need to expand membership to include wildlife groups, economists, and statisticians, and considered forming task and finish groups to address specific issues such as wildlife policy and modelling; the Chair agreed to approach relevant organisations and review governance structures
• the next Programme Board meeting will be held in Builth Wells on 11^th March 2026