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 implications for her policies of other countries permitting poultry shows under biosecure conditions.

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.

Gatherings risk assessments focus on the risk as it relates to birds within Great Britain at the time of assessment. The policies and risk management decisions of other countries do not directly impact our assessment of risk. Context is important as there are differences in industry structure between Great British poultry and poultry in other countries; as well as differences in biosecurity requirements, disease prevalence, migratory pathways and disease control measures.

Each competent authority will need to assess the risk to animal health in their own administrations based on local risk assessments.