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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the highly pathogen avian influenza risk that released gamebirds pose to (1) wild birds outside of special protection areas, (2) poultry, (3) mammal livestock, and (4) wild mammals, in England.

Defra, in conjunction with Welsh Government and Scottish Government, commissioned a risk assessment from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), to further understand the impact game bird releases have on transmission of avian influenza in wild birds, and between wild birds and kept birds in periods of higher than usual levels of avian influenza. This risk assessment is published on gov.uk as part of the ‘Animal diseases: international and UK monitoring’ collection.

Furthermore, a risk assessment of the likely transmission of Avian Influenza from Livestock to Humans was undertaken by Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group, and concluded that the probability of infection in the UK population is considered very low.

This assessment has informed disease controls. During outbreaks, there are controls on the release of game birds in areas of known high risk. The release of game birds is not permitted in any avian influenza disease control zone, nor are game bird releases permitted while an avian influenza prevention zone, including mandatory housing measures, is in force.