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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the ban on poultry shows on the conservation of rare and traditional poultry breeds.

Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings of poultry or other captive birds. In England, a licence to hold a bird gathering may be granted by Defra if a veterinary risk assessment has been carried out, and if the gathering, including the movement of birds to and from it, would not significantly increase the risk of the transmission of avian influenza virus. Detailed risk assessments can be found on GOV.UK.

A licence for a poultry gathering, such as a show, may be granted if the gathering and the transport of birds to and from it would not significantly increase the risk of the spread of bird flu. For each application to hold a gathering of poultry, such as a small poultry show, an individual risk assessment will be completed, and mitigating conditions will be set out in the licence.

Defra, through the annual UK Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) breed inventory, updates the Breeds at Risk (BAR) list which contains native breeds that are considered to be at particular risk, for example in the event of an outbreak of exotic animal disease. The BAR list provides a potential derogation from culling during an outbreak, which is dependent on veterinary risk assessment.