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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what methodology the Animal and Plant Health Agency uses to determine the compensation value of poultry culled during avian influenza outbreaks; and whether this valuation is benchmarked against prevailing commercial market prices for equivalent birds.

Compensation is paid by Defra for animals culled by the Government for disease control purposes in England, as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) makes its assessment of the disease status of the birds based on clinical inspection and veterinary judgment. 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 measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat.

The amount of compensation is established by APHA using the relevant valuation rate card (or for birds or husbandry systems not covered by the rate cards, by a specialist valuer). The valuation rate cards are updated by independent consultants five times per year (in January, March, June, September and November) to ensure rates are in line with average market values for the types of birds.