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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) the US, (b) China and (c) other countries that permit mink farming on the plans that they have in place to stop the spread of covid-19 in fur farms.

Defra is monitoring the situation carefully and working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Public Health England. Our Chief Veterinary Officer and officials have regular contact with our European neighbours who farm mink for fur and with the USA where cases have also been reported.

We have not had any direct contact with China. Our FCDO colleagues are looking into the situation as we know China is one of the global leaders in farming animals for fur.

We have published a cross-Government risk assessment for the UK on this situation.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/hairs-risk-assessment-on-sars-cov-2-in-mustelinae-population