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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with her counterpart in the Republic of Ireland on controlling the spread of avian flu.

The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has regular discussions with her counterparts in the Republic of Ireland, the EU and globally through the World Organisation for Animal Health.

At the international level, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) virologists and epidemiologists collaborate with colleagues in Europe and around the world to closely analyse viruses involved in both outbreaks in poultry and other captive birds and those found in wild birds, with the aim of trying to understand what makes these viruses different and how they might change in the future. Collaboration is underway to investigate the cases we’re currently reporting. This work is facilitated through the World Animal Health Organisation (WOAH) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) international reference laboratory for Avian Influenza located at APHA Weybridge.

In addition, DAERA in Northern Ireland also have regular discussions with the Republic of Ireland regarding the current outbreak of avian influenza, given they share a land border, and are able to pass information between this forum and the UK forums, including the UK’s National Disease Control Centre (NDCC) meetings, the Animal Disease Policy Group (ADPG) and the different stocktakes where ongoing disease control strategy is reviewed.

We continue to monitor the current situation both in Europe and globally, as well as the effectiveness of any disease control measures taken, including vaccine development.