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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many (a) mallard and (b) other gamebird rear and release facilities where cases of (i) highly pathogenic avian influenza and (ii) other notifiable diseases had been detected (A) had already released gamebirds into the natural environment that season and (B) were open to wild birds (1) by being unroofed and (2) through pop holes being open in each of the last five years.

My Department holds information on the release of Pheasants and Red-legged partridges on and within a 500m buffer of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in England for the last four years for SACs and two years for SPAs.

In addition, the outcome of veterinary investigations conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) at all sites where highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in poultry or other captive birds including any cases in kept gamebirds are published on gov.uk in APHA’s outbreak epidemiology reports. These reports include information on potential pathways to infection at the infected premises.

Once gamebirds have been released, they are classed as wild birds for avian influenza rules. Reports of mortality in release gamebirds are investigated through APHA’s wild bird surveillance programme. Details of findings of HPAI in wild birds are published on gov.uk and are available to view and interrogate via APHA’s interactive wild bird surveillance map and dashboard.