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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the high levels of campylobacter infection which are resistant to antibiotics in UK chickens.

The use of antibiotics is a driver of selection of resistance. Therefore, Defra is working with the livestock industry to implement the sector specific targets published in October 2017 to promote reduction in antibiotic use, while encouraging best husbandry practice and responsible use of antibiotics. The UK meat poultry industry has significantly reduced the use of antibiotics including those of critical importance to public health; the British Poultry Council, representing 90% of the meat poultry industry, reported a 72% reduction in the use of fluoroquinolones between 2012 and 2016.

The Government monitors resistance levels in Campylobacter in meat poultry at slaughter. Latest results show very low resistance levels to Erythromycin, an antibiotic considered to be a last resort for the treatment of Campylobacter infections in people, and low levels of multidrug resistance.