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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer 5 June 2025 to Question 56531 on Avian Influenza: Lancashire, whether his Department has provided discretionary financial assistance to poultry producers indirectly affected by avian influenza control measures in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

This Government is committed to working closely with industry to anticipate the potential social and economic risk from avian influenza, so that response strategies are as effective as possible. Whilst the economic impact of an outbreak of avian influenza on Flyde and Lancashire has not been specifically assessed at the regional level, the impacts of a reasonable worst-case scenario outbreak of avian influenza were assessed for the National Risk Register published on gov.uk in 2025. These national risks are reviewed on a regular basis, taking into account new developments. In addition, the joint Government and industry avian influenza taskforce has committed to publishing a full report on vaccination strategies in the UK this summer; this will include economic assessments from previous outbreaks, including the 2022 outbreak.

Compensation paid for birds culled by the Government for disease control purposes is designed to promote prompt reporting of suspicion of disease and is only payable for healthy birds as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981. There is no compensation available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control or measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat. However, to support improvements and resilience in the poultry sector laying hen housing for health and welfare grants have been made available to poultry keepers in England through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Any commercial egg producer or pullet rearer, who is a registered keeper of 1000 or more birds are eligible to apply for these grants.