Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to introduce management measures for the stage 3 and stage 4 offshore marine protected areas.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

It is essential to manage damaging fishing activity in our Marine Protected Areas appropriately due to the significant damage it can have on protected habitats and species. The department is considering next steps for both stages 3 and 4 in the context of our domestic and international nature conservation obligations and how we support the fishing sector.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the report of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in released pheasants in Worcestershire resulting in mass mortality, what estimate they have made of the number of pheasants and other birds killed; what assessment they have made of the impact of released pheasants on the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza; and what plans they have, if any, to increase disease surveillance of game birds.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out year-round surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dead wild birds, including wild gamebirds, in Great Britain and publishes results on GOV.UK. These can be explored through APHA’s interactive map and dashboard available at GOV.UK

To ensure our approach to disease control reflects any risk these activities pose, APHA has assessed the impact gamebird releases have on the likelihood of transmission of avian influenza to wild birds, and between wild birds and kept birds. The need to update this risk assessment in response to new scientific evidence or veterinary advice or significant changes in the epidemiological situation is kept under review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have spent on compensation, disinfection of premises and other costs associated with avian flu outbreaks at poultry and game farms, in each of the last five years.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Figures include (i) compensation claims related to the avian influenza compensation scheme; and (ii) operational costs, which includes culling, disposal, and cleaning and disinfection at infected premises.

2023/24 Total costs of £13.1 million, made up of £2.9 million compensation claims and £10.2million of operational costs

2022/23 Total costs of £84.5 million, made up of £38.3 million compensation claims and £46.2 million of operational costs

2021/22 Total costs of £24.8 million, made up of £6.5 million compensation claims and £18.3 million of operational costs

2020/21 Total costs of £4.5 million, made up of £1.5 million compensation claims and £3.0 million of operational costs

2019/20 Total costs of £0.1 million, made up of £0.1 million in operational costs, there were no compensation claims.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of existing measures in place to both respond to, and reduce the risk of, outbreaks of avian flu at poultry and game farms.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra’s approach to avian influenza is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales. Current policy reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control.

All avian influenza disease control and prevention measures are kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza, and all decisions regarding these measures are based on risk assessments containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in the UK, or working with international partners, to address animal management practices known to be higher risk for the emergence or transmission of avian flu.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Stringent biosecurity is key to protecting the health and welfare of poultry and other captive birds and is critical to preventing disease spread during an avian influenza outbreak. Defra has published guidance and together with the Animal and Plant Health Agency provides support to bird keepers on how to implement strong biosecurity measures. Government will continue to work closely with industry to ensure good flock management and husbandry practices are implemented on all farms regardless of their size or type. The need to mandate enhanced biosecurity or other controls on bird keepers are kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza.

At an international level, collaboration and knowledge exchange with international partners takes place regularly through the networks of international reference laboratories, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the Quadripartite Organisations and allied projects, including through the joint World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Scientific Network on animal influenza OFFLU.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of cases of avian flu in pheasants, what assessment they have made of the risks that ‘catching up’ pheasants this shooting season may pose to people, captive birds, and wild birds; and what plans they have, if any, to publish guidance and a risk assessment on this activity.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has published on GOV.UK their assessment of the risk of catching up gamebirds and the transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1. The need to update this risk assessment in response to new scientific evidence, veterinary advice or significant changes in the epidemiological situation is kept under review as part of the Government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza.

Defra has also published guidance on GOV.UK specifically covering the avian influenza rules and best practice in disease prevention for gamebirds. Defra, together with APHA and Natural England, work closely with industry groups to ensure this vital information is distributed and utilised by the gamebird sector.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government why a regional avian influenza prevention zone for the East Riding of Yorkshire, the City of Kingston upon Hull, and Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk was not put in place before 23 December 2024.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The prevention measures mandated through an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) are introduced in a phased and escalating manner proportionate to the escalating risk to an area. An AIPZ mandating enhanced biosecurity was declared across the East Riding of Yorkshire, the City of Kingston upon Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk on the 13 November 2024 in response to cases in the area and an increase in both the wild bird and poultry avian influenza risk levels. The AIPZ was extended to include mandatory housing from the 23 December 2024 following a further increase in both the wild bird and poultry risk levels and an escalating number of cases in the area indicating further controls were required to stop the spread of disease. Decisions on when to introduce or vary controls are based on risk assessments of the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish details of progress made in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK is committed to meeting the requirement to submit to the Convention on Biological Diversity its seventh and eighth national reports in February 2026 and June 2029, respectively. These reports will provide an assessment of our progress on the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, including progress towards the national targets which we submitted on 1 August.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the special protection areas on General Licence 45 were reassessed following the highly pathogenic avian influenza risk-level in wild birds being increased to medium (on 7 October 2024), high (on 30 October 2024) and very high (on 18 December 2024), and under what scenario the licence would be modified or revoked.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra regularly assesses the local risk of HPAI to internationally protected birds on Special Protected Areas subject to the General licence 45. It has not been necessary to modify or revoke the licence as no gamebirds are being released at the times stated and the biosecurity conditions of GL45 were considered sufficiently precautionary.

Found: LORD SCRIVEN BARONESS KRAMER LORD RANDALL OF UXBRIDGE 1_ Clause 1, page 1, line 1, at end insert—

Found: Amendments marked ★ are new or have been altered] Clause 1 LORD SCRIVEN BARONESS KRAMER LORD RANDALL OF UXBRIDGE

Found: BARONESS GRENDER BARONESS KRAMER BARONESS SATER LORD RANDALL OF UXBRIDGE _ Clause 1, page 1, line