Guidance

General licence to move cattle and other bovine animals from a non-exempt agricultural show in the LRA, or annual surveillance testing parts of the edge area of England, without post-movement TB testing at the show

Updated 4 September 2023

Applies to England and Wales

ANIMAL HEALTH ACT 1981

THE TUBERCULOSIS IN ANIMALS (ENGLAND) ORDER 2021 S.I. 2021/1001 AS AMENDED BY S.I 2023/867

GENERAL LICENCE TO MOVE CATTLE AND OTHER BOVINE ANIMALS FROM A NON-EXEMPT AGRICULTURAL SHOW IN THE LOW RISK AREA OR ANNUAL SURVEILLANCE TESTING PARTS OF THE EDGE AREA OF ENGLAND WITHOUT POST-MOVEMENT TUBERCULOSIS TESTING.

In accordance with article 20 of the Tuberculosis in Animals (England) Order 2021, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs hereby authorises by this general licence the movement of cattle and other bovine animals from a non-exempt agricultural show (i) in the Low Risk Area (ii) (as defined in the Tuberculosis (England) Order 2021) or the annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area of England (iii) without the need for a post-movement skin test at the agricultural show if the following conditions are satisfied:

1) The bovine animal(s) are from a herd located in an annual or more frequent TB testing area of England or in Wales and are kept temporarily at the premises occupied by a non-exempt agricultural show in the Low Risk Area or the annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area of England.

2) Permitted movements under this licence are from non-exempt agricultural shows in in the Low Risk Area or the annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area of England to:

• premises located in the Low Risk area of England outside of the annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area of England and outside of the Low TB Area of Wales

• premises located in the Low Risk area of England, where on arrival the bovine animal must have a post-movement test in accordance with Article 20 of The Tuberculosis in Animals (England) Order 2021 (as amended)

• premises located in annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area of England, where on arrival the bovine animal must have a post-movement test in accordance with Article 20 of The Tuberculosis in Animals (England) Order 2021 (as amended) – unless moved originally from herds located in the annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area of England to the show

• premises located in the Low TB Area of Wales, where on arrival the bovine animal must have a post-movement test, when applicable, in accordance with Article 13A of The Tuberculosis (Wales) Order 2010 (as amended)). The post-movement test is not applicable if the animal(s) are from a herd located in the Low Risk Area of England, or the Low TB Area of Wales.

3) No bovine animals may be moved on to or off the agricultural show if such movements would be contrary to any other notifiable disease restrictions in place at the time of the proposed movement.

It is the animal keeper’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the conditions set out in this licence. Non-compliance with the terms of this licence is an offence under the Tuberculosis in Animals (England) Order 2021 (as amended).

This licence comes into force at 11:00 hrs on 11 August 2023.

Signed By Sergio Thomas

Veterinary Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Dated 11 August 2023 10:14

Notes

i) post-movement testing is not required for bovine animals moved to an agricultural show in:

a. the Low Risk Area of England, or that return to the Low Risk Area of England from an agricultural show outside the Low Risk Area of England

b. the annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area, or that return to the annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area from an agricultural show outside the Low Risk Area or annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area

If the animals are not held at the show ground for more than 24 hours and are not housed at the showground. For this exemption to apply the bovine animals must be returned directly to their premises of origin after the show, or are killed or go directly to slaughter after the show. More detail on exemptions to the post-movement testing policy are provided in the Tuberculosis in Animals (England) Order 2021 (as amended). A show will be classed as exempt if no bovine animals are to remain on the showground for a period of more than 24 hours and no bovine animal are to be housed i.e. any covered area with sides.

ii) “the Low Risk Area” means any of the counties listed in Scheduled A of the Tuberculosis in Animals (England) Order 2021: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, County Durham, Cumbria, Essex, Greater London, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Isles of Scilly, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne & Wear, West Sussex, and West Yorkshire

iii) annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area means those referred to as the ‘specified area’ in the Tuberculosis in Animals (England) Order 2021 (as amended) which is defined as ‘any of the counties or civil parishes listed in Schedule 3’ of the Order

iv) “the Low TB Area of Wales” means all the land shaded and identified as ‘’Low TB’’ on the deposited map titled Bovine TB: incidence map

v) under article 20 of the Tuberculosis in Animals (England) Order 2021 (as amended, where a bovine animal is moved in to:

a. the Low Risk Area from a herd located in another part of England, or in Wales

b. the annual surveillance testing parts of the Edge Area from a herd located in six-monthly surveillance testing parts of England, or in Wales

The keeper who receives the animal must arrange and pay for a post-movement skin test to be undertaken on it by an approved veterinary surgeon no fewer than 60 days, but no more than 120 days, after the date of arrival at the receiving premises; other than in circumstances where the animal is moved:

• to slaughter within 120 days
• for veterinary treatment
• to an exempt agricultural show
• directly to a market from which all animals go directly to slaughter, an exempt market, an approved collecting centre or a licensed finishing unit

Where a bovine animal is required to have a post-movement skin test, no person may move that animal from the receiving premises until the skin test has been completed with negative results, unless the movement is directly (or via an approved slaughter gathering or market) to slaughter, directly to a licensed finishing unit, directly (or via an exempt market) to an approved finishing unit or an exempt finishing unitor made under the authority of a licence issued by an inspector.