It is understood that Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman will make an announcement on the future of government plans for a highly controversial badger cull in parliament today. Spelman is expected to reveal whether two trial culls will be conducted in areas of England where bovine TB is endemic after Prime Minister’s Questions.

Government sources have suggested Spelman will give cull plans a green light, though the issue remains hotly contested; conservation groups have questioned the humaneness of cull plans and whether they will deliver the desired effect. The Badger Trust, which successfully challenged plans for a cull in Wales, has pledged to takelegal action to stop any culling.

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones announced last week that an announcement on Wales’ cull plans would be postponed until the New Year. Conservation groups in Wales have said stricter cattle control measures in the country have seen bTB incidences fall without resorting to killing wildlife, though farming unions have said culling is the only option for the dairy industry.

If the trial culls go ahead, they are expected to take place in the South West of England, where bTB is most acute. If Defra is satisfied with the results, culling could be rolled out. 25,000 cattle were slaughtered in the UK last year as part of TB control measures.