House of Commons · Urgent Question
30 January 2025 · 15 other contributors
Opened by Victoria Atkins Con Louth and Horncastle
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Victoria Atkins raised concerns about avian influenza 2025-01-30 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
Key points
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
Will the Minister confirm the status of the avian influenza prevention zone, including its impact on birdkeepers and farmers, given the recent infection of a farm worker in the west midlands? Additionally, what discussions is the minister having with the devolved Governments regarding similar restrictions to those in England?
Question
Has anyone else been infected following the farm worker case in the west midlands? What discussions is the Minister having with the sector to mitigate supply impacts given recent significant culls?
Minister reply
No other cases have emerged. The Government maintains regular dialogue with industry representatives to ensure a secure poultry supply chain, despite recent large-scale culling operations.
Question
What are the new arrangements for compensation given delays and issues in past outbreaks? Are farmers receiving timely support?
Minister reply
The previous Government updated compensation procedures to allow earlier assessment and faster payment of claims, reducing financial pressure on farmers. Current systems are designed to prevent such delays.
Question
What measures are in place for rapid genetic testing of avian influenza strains? Are there any impacts on public health beyond the low risk currently recognised?
Minister reply
Genetic sequencing is available to monitor strain development and transmission risks. Public Health England remains vigilant, confirming the current very low risk to human health.
Question
Given the underspend of the agriculture budget under Conservative rule, how is funding for avian influenza management secured?
Minister reply
The Department assesses the situation comprehensively. Current systems are well-funded to manage outbreaks effectively.
Question
How does the Minister view the redevelopment of the Animal and Plant Health Agency's facilities in New Haw, given its critical role?
Minister reply
The Government recognises the importance of the agency’s work and supports necessary infrastructure improvements to enhance disease control capabilities.
Question
Is the Minister engaging with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and other major organisations so that he can at least be aware of the impact on the wild bird population?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: we need to be very careful about that. I can assure him that those are exactly the kinds of discussions that I am having with officials. We are tracking that and have the technology these days to look closely at what is going on.
Question
How are the Government monitoring those who are not professional bird keepers and ensuring that such situations are also subject to the necessary control and regulation?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. The importance of biosecurity cannot be overstressed—that is the way to tackle this. He is also right to say that amateurs and small bird keepers are important, and that is why they were brought within the registration scheme, which is beneficial and welcome.
Question
Will the Minister clarify how the Government are monitoring the spread of the virus among other species?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady is absolutely right: we need to be very careful about that. I can assure her that those are exactly the kinds of discussions that I am having with officials. We are tracking that and have the technology these days to look closely at what is going on.
Question
How are people who live in cities being made aware that they should look out for dead or dying birds so that we can get a more accurate reflection of where the virus is spreading? What discussions has he had with Departments of the Scottish Government to ensure that we have reliable and up-to-date data across these islands?
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman makes strong points. I think there is general awareness of, and concern about, what is going on. It is important to say to people that, if they have concerns and they see such things, they should report them. On our work with the devolved Administrations, we have a very strong structure that allows all the devolved Administrations to be involved so that we have a consistent framework.
Question
Will the Minister visit the Animal and Plant Health Agency site with him to see for himself the work that needs to be done and the urgent need for massive investment in the site?
Minister reply
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his invitation. I have had numerous invitations. Last week, I was in Northumberland looking at rural crime, and this week I was at the Fenland SOIL—sustainability, opportunity, innovation, learning—conference. I will add the hon. Gentleman’s invitation to my list.
Question
How is he going to support that type of business model and how is he going to keep staff and visitors safe?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his important question. Everything we do to stop the spread will help businesses such as the one he described. Some specific rules and regulations also apply in those particular cases, which I can make available to him if he wishes.
Question
Does the Minister accept that avian influenza represents an existential threat to businesses such as Kelly Turkeys in his constituency? Does the Minister accept that it is likely, as with covid, that the only way forward will be vaccination?
Minister reply
The right hon. Gentleman raises an important point. As he will be aware, significant international trade issues are involved, but as we look to a world in which we seem to have more and more of these cases, that is certainly something that we keep under consideration.
Question
May I ask the Minister to provide a bit more detail about the support we are giving not just to those who are directly impacted now, but to those who are understandably very deeply concerned about what this may mean for their businesses over the coming months?
Minister reply
I thank my hon. Friend for his very important question. I can assure him that an entire apparatus is in place to ensure that all reassurance can be given to the kind of businesses that the right hon. Member for Maldon (Sir John Whittingdale) described. From an animal welfare point of view, we will ensure that everybody involved in the sector has the kind of advice and support that is needed.
Question
What discussions has the Minister had with the devolved nations, particularly the Northern Ireland Assembly, about putting in place the support that is needed, taking into account that wild bird cases have been found in the last two weeks in Northern Ireland?
Minister reply
I am, as ever, grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising the issue as it impacts Northern Ireland. We have been developing a UK-wide response to this, and my officials are in constant contact with officials from his Administration.
Government Response
Avian influenza poses a significant threat to both kept and wild birds across the UK, necessitating stringent biosecurity measures. The Department has established an avian influenza prevention zone mandating enhanced biosecurity practices in affected areas of England, Wales, and Scotland. This includes mandatory housing for all captive birds in certain regions to mitigate disease spread. The Department works closely with the devolved Governments to monitor the situation and extend mandatory restrictions where necessary. On the farm worker case, he is making a full recovery as per medical advice, highlighting the low risk of human transmission under controlled circumstances.