Minister rules out appeal following badger cull ruling

Rural affairs minister Elin Jones has confirmed the Welsh Assembly will not appeal against the High Court’s decision to stop a proposed badger cull.

But she has repeated that the Assembly remains committed to eradicating TB in Wales using a ‘holistic’ approach.

Addressing the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon (14 July), Ms Jones said the ability to appeal against the ruling was not open to her.

This is as she had already conceded to the Court of Appeal that the TB Eradication Order should not have applied to the whole of Wales.

But Ms Jones said when she put the Order forward the legal advice from internal employees had been that making it on an All-Wales basis was appropriate.

The minister said she was not able at this stage to comment on the options available in moving forward.

But she added: “My intention remains the same to eradicate TB from land here in Wales and I will now consider the options available to me to take this policy forward in a holistic manner for the future.”

Ms Jones said there was no evidence – as some claimed – that the incidence of TB in Wales was falling.

She also pointed out that it had cost the Assembly £120m in compensation payments alone since 2000.