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 confirmation of cases of type 2 rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus in hares in January 2019, what epidemiological modelling (a) his Department and (b) the Animal and Plant Health Agency have conducted to assess the potential effect of that disease on the hare population.

There has not been any epidemiological modelling on rabbit haemorrhagic disease in hares carried out by Defra or the Animal and Plant Health Agency. There is insufficient evidence on rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus in hares to allow valid modelling.