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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with representatives of the devolved Administrations on her proposals to tackle Avian Flu.

The UK Government works closely with the devolved administrations to seek a coordinated response wherever possible to control disease. While disease control is a devolved matter, and it is for the devolved administrations to assess their disease risks and respond accordingly, all four administrations are an integral part of the UK-wide governance and decision-making processes for animal disease outbreaks. All attend the National Disease Control Centre (NDCC) meetings, are members of the Animal Disease Policy Group (ADPG) and participate in regular stocktakes to review on-going disease control strategy. Decisions on disease control measures, made through these groups, are based on risk assessments containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.