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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 103635, whether her Department has completed its assessment of avian influenza risks associated with the release of captive-bred pheasants and partridges for recreational shooting; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of such releases on biodiversity, native wildlife populations and ecosystem balance.

Great Britain regained freedom from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in May 2026 and the current risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza from wild birds, including released captive-bred pheasants and partridges, is assessed as low.

Defra’s Gamebird rapid evidence review was published in 2020 and is available here. Further research into these findings was published in 2025 and available here.