The Government is being urged to reclassify bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV3) after an evidence session held by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Farming (APPG) examined the impact of this summer’s outbreak on Exmoor and elsewhere in Somerset and Devon.
APPG hears from vets and NFU livestock leaders
The APPG, co-chaired by West Somerset MP Rachel Gilmour, took evidence from Sheep Veterinary Society senior vice-president Phillipa Page and NFU Livestock Board vice-chairman Mark Weekes, a Devon sheep farmer. Members heard that midges which transmit bluetongue were thought to have overwintered in Britain after arriving on winds from Europe, contributing to substantial disease spread on Exmoor this year.
Those giving evidence described significant animal health and financial impacts on farms. Meeting participants raised concerns about Defra’s preparedness and capacity to support the agricultural sector during the outbreak and urged a rapid policy response to strengthen monitoring and testing.
APPG members said reclassifying BTV3 would allow quicker testing and improved monitoring, which they argued would strengthen protections against onward spread. The group described reclassification as a first step towards restoring farmer confidence amid “a perfect storm of financial, climate, and geopolitical headwinds beyond individual farmers’ control”, language used during the session.
Session details
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| APPG | All-Party Parliamentary Group on Farming, co-chaired by Rachel Gilmour |
| evidence given by | Sheep Veterinary Society senior vice-president Phillipa Page; NFU Livestock Board vice-chairman Mark Weekes |
| areas affected | Exmoor, Somerset, Devon and wider UK cases |
| recommendation | reclassify BTV3 to speed testing and monitoring |
Those at the session described the outbreak’s effects on livestock and farm finances as “devastating”, and attendees stressed the need for timely laboratory testing and surveillance to give farmers clearer information on disease distribution and help target control efforts.
- Who raised the call: APPG on Farming, co-chaired by Rachel Gilmour
- Who gave evidence: Sheep Veterinary Society senior vice-president Phillipa Page; NFU Livestock Board vice-chairman Mark Weekes
- What was requested: reclassification of BTV3 to enable faster testing and monitoring
The APPG session highlighted the interplay between vector activity, animal health impacts and the ability of government agencies to respond. Reclassification, attendees argued, would be a relatively straightforward measure to expand testing capacity and surveillance without incurring large upfront costs.
Farmers and veterinary representatives at the session emphasised that clearer monitoring data and quicker test turnaround would help target vaccination and other mitigations where appropriate. The APPG’s recommendation adds to ongoing sector calls for robust disease surveillance and contingency planning following this year’s outbreak.
Defra has not been quoted in this report; the APPG’s evidence session and comments were reported by the West Somerset Free Press on 26 October 2026.
