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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing additional regulation on the (a) data collection, (b) reporting, (c) management and (d) release of non-native gamebirds in the UK.

This is an area covered by devolved policy responsibility. We currently have no plans to introduce additional regulation in regard to non-native gamebirds. Defra continues to keep the policy and regulatory framework for the release of non-native gamebirds in England under review. This assessment will take account of the outcomes of any relevant risk assessments and the ongoing avian influenza outbreak.