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 reductions in poultry biodiversity on the food chain.

The UK has a highly resilient poultry meat supply chain which has coped well in responding to the unprecedented challenges it has faced in the recent years.

Conservation of animal genetic resources including poultry breeds contributes to biodiversity. These resources provide genetic traits which can contribute to a sustainable increase in food productivity and help the agriculture sector adapt to climate change.

Defra receives independent expert advice from the UK Genetics for Livestock and Equines Committee which is used to inform approaches to conservation of native breeds including poultry.