Introduction: A new Chapter in bovine TB Control
In August 2024, the government announced the start of work to refresh the bovine TB strategy for England. Rather than developing the strategy behind closed doors, the aim is to shape the new strategy together through a process of ‘co-design’ with those who deal with bovine TB every day – farmers, vets, industry groups, scientists, animal welfare and wildlife groups, and government
By placing co-design at the heart of the process, the government aims to ensure the refreshed strategy reflects the latest science, practical experience, and shared priorities.
The co-design approach: the Strategy Refresh Steering Group
To oversee the co-design process, a Steering Group has been formed from the existing Bovine TB Partnership for England. The Steering Group is responsible for setting the strategic direction for refreshing the strategy and identifying the key themes and issues to be explored through dedicated Working Groups (more on these below). The Steering Group also plays a central role in bringing together the outputs from these groups to shape the new bovine TB strategy. The Steering Group is made up of a diverse mix of experts and stakeholders, including representatives from farming, veterinary science, academia, and government. Members bring a wide range of perspectives and are committed to working collaboratively to ensure the strategy is inclusive, transparent, and science led.
To support the development of the strategy, the Steering Group established a series of Working Groups, each focused on a key theme. These groups are tasked with developing detailed recommendations, drawing on evidence, member expertise, and practical experience. The Steering Group oversees their progress, ensures alignment across themes, and will ultimately bring together Working Group outputs into a comprehensive strategy for ministerial consideration.
As Chair of the Steering Group, John Cross has emphasised the importance of this collaborative approach:
“This is a real opportunity to build a strategy that works for everyone – grounded in science, shaped by experience, and supported by those who will deliver it.”
This co-design process is central to ensuring that the refreshed strategy is not only scientifically robust but also practical, deliverable and capable of accelerating bovine TB control progress.
Steering Group member profiles
John Cross (Chair)
John is a livestock farmer and long-standing advocate for collaborative approaches to bTB control.
Paul Westaway (Deputy Chair)
Paul is a farmer from in the High Risk Area.
Ele Brown
Ele is Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer for England and a Defra Deputy Director with responsibility for the bTB programme.
Andrew Soldan (retired)
Andrew previously served as Veterinary Director at APHA.
Tom Rabbetts
Tom represents the National Farmers Union (NFU).
James Russell
James is Clinical Assistant Professor in farm animal practice.
Chris Addison
Chris is a farmer from the Low Risk Area.
James Wood
Professor James Wood is an academic with expertise in veterinary epidemiology.
Rosie Woodroffe
Professor Rosie Woodroffe is a leading academic in wildlife ecology and disease.
James Gay
James is a dairy farmer from the High Risk Area.
Aled Edwards
Aled works for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as the Head of England Field Delivery.
Ed Simmons
Ed is a private vet and represents the British Cattle Veterinary Association.
Steering Group member biographies can be found on the TB Partnership membership page.
Strategy themes and Working Groups
The Steering Group has set up a number of Working Groups to explore the specific themes of the strategy refresh:
- Communications and engagement.
- Governance and financial instruments.
- How to accelerate cattle vaccination: licensing to deployment.
- Cattle surveillance and breakdown testing.
- Trade, biosecurity, and movement testing.
- Badgers and other wildlife.
- Responding to changing epidemiology and disease risk.
- Non-bovine farmed species (overseen by the Steering Group).
Each Working Group is chaired by a member of the Bovine TB Partnership and supported by a Steering Group lead. The groups consist of Defra and APHA officials alongside volunteers from across the farming, veterinary, scientific, and wildlife sectors which allows the strategy to benefit from a wider range of expertise and views. Typically each Working Group will be attended by around 12 people with over 100 individuals involved overall.
Independent scientific review: The Godfray Report
Defra commissioned the independent panel of experts who conducted the 2018 Bovine TB Strategy Review to consider whether there is any substantive new evidence or analysis that affects the conclusions made in their report. This will ensure work on a comprehensive new bovine TB strategy for England benefits from the latest evidence and science.
The panel’s remit included:
- Reviewing recent scientific and policy-relevant evidence published since 2018.
- Advising on opportunities to improve, enhance, or accelerate interventions proposed in the original strategy.
- Identifying gaps in the evidence base and areas where further research or development is needed.
The report was published on 4th September at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tuberculosis-godfray-evidence-review-update-2025. Each Working Group is actively considering the panel’s findings and using its insights to shape their recommendations. This helps ensure the refreshed strategy is based on the most up-to-date science and reflects opportunities to improve or accelerate TB control.
Further information on the independent panel of experts can be found here.
Stakeholder, end user and public engagement
We know there’s broad interest in bovine TB, and while the Working Groups bring in valuable stakeholder expertise, they cannot capture every view. To ensure a wider range of voices are heard, Defra has commissioned Ipsos to lead a structured programme of stakeholder and public engagement.
Dialogue with partners and affected groups
Ipsos are facilitating a series of regional workshops with those directly impacted by, or who will deliver the strategy from across the sector. These sessions are focused on identifying priority issues, barriers to implementation, and potential solutions. The aim is to build ownership of the strategy and ensure it is deliverable, trusted, and aligned with sector needs.
Dialogue with the public
A representative group of members of the public will participate in online sessions to explore their views on bTB control measures, roles and responsibilities, and the overall direction of the strategy. This strand helps ensure the strategy reflects the priorities of public taxpayers and is socially acceptable.
Building consensus
A final workshop will bring together a mix of partners, affected groups and public participants to discuss areas of difference, explore trade-offs, and identify points of consensus. This process supports transparency and helps build shared understanding across groups.
Together, these activities will help shape a strategy that is not only scientifically and operationally sound but also reflective of diverse perspectives, including those who will implement the strategy and those the strategy affects.