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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to limit the spread of avian flu.

Defra’s objective in tackling any outbreak of avian influenza is to eradicate the disease as quickly as possible from the UK poultry and captive-bird population and regain UK World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) disease-free status.

Defra’s approach to the control of avian influenza is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain and the Contingency Plan for Exotic Notifiable Diseases of Animals in England. Swift and humane culling of birds on infected premises coupled with good biosecurity is used to prevent the amplification of avian influenza and subsequent environmental contamination and to reduce the risk of disease spread from infected premises. Current policy is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control.

In addition, to mitigate the risk of spread of avian influenza from wild birds to poultry and other captive birds, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) came into force across Great Britain on 3 November 2021 and in Northern Ireland on the 17 November 2021, with additional housing measures coming into force across the UK on 29 November 2021. These measures mean that it is a legal requirement for all bird keepers across the UK to keep their birds indoors and follow strict biosecurity measures to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease in poultry and other captive birds.

In line with the implementation of the AIPZ, changes to the bird gathering general license in England, Wales and Scotland were made on the 8 November 2021 and in Northern Ireland on the 17 November 2021, such that gatherings of poultry are no longer permitted.