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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to control bird flu since the recent outbreak of that virus.

Our immediate and robust actions include:

• An Avian Influenza Prevention Zone which was put in place on 6 December and covers all of England. The Prevention Zone requires the compulsory housing of all poultry and captive birds or, where this is not possible, separation from wild birds. This will expire on 28^th February and announcements on next steps will be made in due course;
• A ban on poultry gatherings to guard against spread;
• Enhanced wild bird surveillance around wetland areas by key partners;
• The clear expectation in widely available guidance that all keepers must exercise the highest biosecurity standards.

All measures are being kept under constant review.

Upon confirmation of disease, a 10 km Surveillance Zone and an inner Protection Zone of 3 km are put in place around each infected premises. The Protection and Surveillance Zones impose movement restrictions on poultry and other potentially contaminated material.

Susceptible animals on the infected premises are humanely culled and their carcasses and any other contaminated products of animal origin are then safely disposed of.