Avian Influenza The Minister of State, Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (Mark Spencer) With permission, I would like
to make a statement on the Government’s response to the current
avian influenza outbreaks. The Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs’ avian influenza disease control measures aim to
minimise the economic burden of the outbreak on the food, farming
and tourism industries and on the wider economy while protecting
public...Request free trial
Avian
Influenza
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs ()
With permission, I would like to make a statement on the
Government’s response to the current avian influenza outbreaks.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ avian
influenza disease control measures aim to minimise the economic
burden of the outbreak on the food, farming and tourism
industries and on the wider economy while protecting public
health. However, we recognise that the industry is under serious
pressure. The UK Health Security Agency advises that the risk to
public health from H5N1 remains very low, and the Food Standards
Agency has said that there is no food safety risk for UK
consumers. The strain is the European strain of H5N1.
Outbreaks of avian influenza in both kept and wild birds continue
to occur on an unprecedented scale, with cases continuing to be
confirmed into year two of the outbreak for the first time.
October has seen a massive escalation in the number of cases
confirmed, with 91 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza
confirmed in poultry and captive birds: 82 cases in England, four
in Scotland, four in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. This
compares with a total of 158 cases in the year between October
2021 and 30 September 2022 and with 26 cases in the winter of
2020-2021.
We recognise the significant financial pressure that an outbreak
of avian influenza can have on producers. Current rules are
designed to encourage good biosecurity standards, and this
remains a top priority. On Wednesday 26 October, to help
producers to deal with the impacts of the UK’s worst ever avian
influenza outbreak, DEFRA confirmed changes to the avian
influenza compensation scheme, which will be implemented in
addition to a relaxation of rules for the sale of previously
frozen seasonal poultry products. Farmers who breed turkeys,
geese, ducks or capons for their meat will have the option to
slaughter their flocks early and freeze products, which can then
be defrosted and sold to consumers between 28 November and 31
December 2022. While we produce over 11 million turkeys in the UK
every year and there is no immediate threat to the food supply
chain as a result of current outbreak, this measure will help to
mitigate any potential risks to the Christmas food supplies.
Work with the sector has shown that there has been too much
uncertainty in the past about the entitlement to compensation in
the event of a confirmed case of avian influenza outbreak, where
healthy birds are culled to help disease control. We are
therefore altering the operation of the existing compensation
scheme for avian influenza to give earlier certainty about the
entitlement to compensation. This will be linked to decisions
taken at the start of planned culling, rather than at the end. It
will also allow us to reflect the particular impact of this
unprecedented outbreak. Earlier clarity about compensation should
also lead to swifter payments to help with cash-flow pressures.
We will be applying this approach from 1 October 2022.
Biosecurity is the essential defence against avian influenza, but
despite it being a legal requirement in the avian influenza
prevention zone in force and a baseline for industry assurance
schemes, veterinary investigations at infected premises continue
to reveal unacceptable lapses in biosecurity. It is essential
that the industry play its part in helping to prevent further
outbreaks. Mandatory housing measures for all poultry and captive
birds are to be introduced to all areas of England from one
minute past midnight on the morning of Monday 7 November,
following a decision by the United Kingdom’s chief veterinary
officer. The housing measures legally require all bird keepers to
keep their birds housed and to follow stringent biosecurity
measures to help to protect their flocks from the disease,
regardless of type or size.
Finally, any future decisions on disease control measures,
including the use of vaccination, will be based on the latest
scientific, ornithological and veterinary advice. I urge all bird
keepers, from those keeping large commercial flocks to those with
one or two birds in the back garden, to adopt the best practice
biosecurity advice measures required in the avian influenza
prevention zone. I commend this statement to the House.
2.54pm
(Cambridge) (Lab)
I thank the Minister for giving me advance sight of his
statement, which is welcome but should have been made weeks ago,
as the devastating impact on the wild bird population has been
known for months and the impact on producers has been getting
worse and worse week by week. Yesterday, the Government finally
announced that a full bird housing order would come into effect
from Monday 7 November. That is coming too late, with over 3
million birds having been culled already, so why did it take so
long? And because birds do not recognise borders, can the
Minister tell us about discussions with the devolved Governments
on introducing similar restrictions? With the imminent return of
more migratory birds, we could rapidly see this spreading further
across the four nations.
On the compensation scheme, can the Minister tell us how much it
is costing? He mentioned the uncertainty about entitlement. There
may be uncertainty in his Department, but the real complaint has
been about the inability of the Animal and Plant Health Agency to
move quickly enough when incidents are reported, and that is his
Department’s responsibility. We know what the problem is: the
shortage of vets and the lack of catchers and cullers. The vets
went back to Spain and Portugal, but his Department had no plan
or capacity to deal with a new crisis, and now we have one. Can
the Minister tell us what the vacancy rates are at the APHA? Just
how short is the agency? And if everyone there is working on
avian flu, as they need to be, what effect is that having on
issuing the dreaded export certificates that all our exporters
now need?
We are told that the outbreak has spread at a much faster pace
this year than previously, with the chief vet telling
parliamentarians this morning that, in terms of the number of
cases, we are six weeks ahead of where we were this time last
year. What impact will this have on our food supplies? We know
that the disease affects turkeys and geese much more severely.
The Minister says that there is no immediate threat, but it is
reported that we already have a 20% supply issue with free-range
turkeys. Is he confident that we will have enough turkeys for
Christmas?
The Minister is right to say that biosecurity is critical for
preventing the spread, and producers must take the
responsibility, but what support are the Government offering to
farmers to help to implement effective biosecurity measures and
what checking is being done to ensure that such measures are at
the right standards? Looking to the future, what is he doing to
give seasonal producers the confidence to restock next year?
Finally, what of vaccines? Other countries are moving quickly.
What is the Minister doing to ensure that trade issues are
resolved and that every effort is being made to get a vaccine in
place? This is a serious situation, and the Government have been
slow to react and slow to report to this House. They need to do
better.
I am disappointed that the hon. Gentleman has taken that approach
and wants to make this a party political issue. Interestingly,
Wales, where the Labour party is in control, has not moved to do
this at this stage. We are announcing before the Welsh
Administration. We are actually working quite closely with the
devolved Administrations. We have taken this decision now because
we are following the most up-to-date science and veterinary
advice. We are led by the science and by our veterinary advisers.
It is fair to say that the housing order has a twofold impact on
the spread of avian influenza, whereas biosecurity can have a
44-fold impact on the spread, which is why our focus has been
completely on biosecurity. As I say, we continue to talk to our
colleagues in the devolved Administrations. We have constructive
conversations and we are working closely with them.
It is clear that there is capacity within the DEFRA vets service
to deal with this challenge. The vets are on site and on farms
and they are dealing with it. When it comes to food supplies, we
are confident that our food supply networks are enough to ensure
that we have turkeys for Christmas. We have the most robust
supply chains available to us and there should not be a problem
as long as we continue to keep the strictest biosecurity.
The hon. Gentleman’s final comment was about vaccines. The advice
I have been given is that the current vaccines are not as
effective against the current strain of European bird flu as we
would have hoped. Vaccines are available for birds kept in zoos
that do not enter the food chain but, because of trade deals,
there is a challenge with vaccinated birds entering the food
chain. We are having conversations and working as closely as
possible with our colleagues in Europe, who face the same
challenges, to find a way forward.
(Penrith and The Border)
(Con)
I thank my right hon. Friend for his update on this incredibly
concerning situation. My thoughts go out to people on the
frontline on farms, who are in among their birds. It is
incredibly distressing and devastating for all involved in
tending or looking after birds and animals that are dying or need
to be culled as part of the control process. We saw that with
foot and mouth, and we are now seeing it with avian flu.
I thank the vets and officials involved in disease surveillance
and control during this incredibly stressful time. Does my right
hon. Friend agree that this confirms that the APHA needs to be
adequately staffed and resourced to protect animal health and
welfare and biosecurity, and that we must refurbish and fund its
headquarters down in Weybridge as a priority?
I acknowledge my hon. Friend’s expertise in this area. The APHA
has the resources to deal with this enormous challenge, but we
recognise the pressure it is under. We will make sure it is well
resourced to go about its business.
(Perth and North Perthshire)
(SNP)
I thank the Minister for his helpful update and for giving me
early sight of his statement.
This outbreak is serious and potentially ruinous for those who
depend on the poultry trade, or whose livelihood depends on the
keeping of birds. All summer in Scotland, we have seen the impact
of this episode of bird flu on our iconic bird colonies in places
such as East Lothian, Galloway and St Kilda, with distressing
scenes of these beautiful birds washing up on so many of our
beaches.
In response to this emerging issue, the chief veterinary officer
in Scotland joined her colleagues across the UK in declaring an
avian influenza prevention zone. As the Minister said, the risk
to the public is very low, and in Scotland we have had only four
recorded cases, but I am sure he agrees that the situation must
be kept under constant review.
I welcome the Minister’s announcement on the changes to the
compensation scheme, and the industry will welcome that it allows
for swifter payments in the run-up to Christmas. The Scottish
chief veterinary officer has said that the housing of birds
should not be seen as a silver bullet, and the Minister will be
aware that we are not following the example of England on the
mandatory housing of birds at this stage. Does he agree that the
housing of birds is not a silver bullet? What further measures
can be put in place, short of the housing of birds?
The Minister talked about his engagement with the Scottish
Government, and perhaps he could tell us more. How regular are
those meetings, and what has been the focus of conversation? We
in Scotland will do everything possible to mitigate the risk and
to ensure that we get reliable data so that everything we do is
evidence-led.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments and for the
co-operation of the Scottish Government. We work very closely at
official level and at chief veterinary officer level to ensure
that we are working in tandem to mitigate the risks. As he
identified, there is no risk to the public. Of course that
continues to be monitored, but we do not foresee there being a
risk to public health. He also spoke about the tragedy happening
within our wild bird population. We are seeing devastating losses
of many wild birds, and we hope their stocks will recover once we
get through this terrible outbreak.
Sir (Maldon) (Con)
I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. However, the
compensation arrangements he outlined will do very little to help
small producers such as KellyBronze in my constituency, which
lost 9,800 turkeys from a flock of 10,000 in the space of a
weekend, before the vet even arrived. Will he look to pay
compensation from the date of notification, if the flock proves
to be positive, as is the case for other species suffering from,
for instance, foot and mouth disease? Will he confirm now that
“freeze and thaw” will be available on the same basis next
autumn, to give farmers the confidence to invest in birds for
Christmas 2023?
I, too, have met my right hon. Friend’s constituent Paul Kelly,
who made representations to me on behalf of KellyBronze. We have
moved the start of compensation to as early as legally possible
without the introduction of primary legislation. We are seeking
to assist farmers as much as we can when they are caught out by
this terrible disease. “Biosecurity, biosecurity, biosecurity” is
the message I want to get across. It is very difficult, as it
takes only one mistake—one quick visit to a unit with infected
faeces on our boots—to devastate a whole flock.
(Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)
I recently held a farmers forum in Lancaster and Fleetwood, and
it is fair to say that the farmers in my community are deeply
concerned about avian flu, but they are also concerned about the
shortage of vets. Is the Minister confident that his Department
has access to enough vets to contain the avian flu outbreak?
We have full confidence that we have enough vets to deal with
this outbreak. Those vets are working long hours with great
dedication, but I hear the hon. Lady’s comments about the
concerns of poultry keepers and farmers up and down the country.
We should not underestimate the mental health impact on farmers
when they lose their livelihood and their flocks. It puts them
under huge pressure.
(Ludlow) (Con)
I welcome the improvements to the compensation arrangements. I am
aware that the National Farmers Union’s poultry board visited the
Department last week to try to impress upon my right hon. Friend
and his officials that paying compensation to farmers who have
lost birds to culling but not to farmers whose birds have died
from avian flu has made it very difficult to provide adequate
compensation for poultry farmers whose livelihoods have been
devastated by the impact of this disease, many of whom are in my
south Shropshire constituency. I urge him to say whatever else he
can about compensation applying to birds that have already died,
prior to notification by vets.
Secondly, will my right hon. Friend comment on flexibility on the
labelling of free-range eggs? The housing requirements for layers
need some flexibility to allow free-range certificated flocks to
continue.
Finally, the vaccine development is welcome. Will my right hon.
Friend bring the same urgency to bear on avian flu vaccines as is
applied to human covid vaccines? Will he engage with retailers in
this country as soon as possible to ensure that they are willing
to supply vaccinated meat?
I thank my right hon. Friend for his three questions. First, we
have moved the date for the compensation scheme to as early as
legally possible, to try to assist farmers with the challenges
they face. He mentioned the labelling of free-range eggs. The law
currently allows 16 weeks from the second a bird is housed,
before eggs may no longer be called free-range. We have a while
before the end of that 16-week period, when eggs would have to be
labelled as barn-reared. That can be done with a simple label to
say the eggs are barn-reared, rather than free-range.
As with covid, vaccination will be the route out of this problem,
but we need our best scientists to concentrate on developing an
effective vaccine. We need to work with our colleagues across the
European Union so that birds and products exported for food will
be accepted into their marketplace, as well as keeping
conversations open with retailers to ensure they are also
happy.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
Twenty-one years on from foot and mouth disease devastating our
communities in Cumbria, we are especially sensitive to not only
the animal welfare consequences of outbreaks of animal diseases
such as avian flu, but the crushing impact on people, livelihoods
and the wider community. Will the Minister say more about the
support he will be giving—compensation and other support—to
poultry farmers directly affected and to those who will be
indirectly affected by this hammering of their business, which
puts their businesses at risk? Given that the Department has
delayed imposing mandatory housing until next week, what evidence
is there that this window could not now trigger panicked and
unsafe practices, creating greater infection and increased misery
for communities such as mine?
Clearly, the housing order came in following the best scientific
and veterinary advice that we have, but I cannot reiterate enough
the impact that improved biosecurity has on those units over a
housing order. I recognise the impact that foot and mouth disease
had in the hon. Gentleman’s part of the country and the mental
scars it leaves on livestock holders. We have brought forward the
compensation scheme so that cash flow is assisted. In bringing
forward the moment at which the compensation scheme kicks in, we
have also brought forward the moment at which the compensation is
received in the bank account of the affected farmer. However, we
cannot pay compensation for consequential losses further down the
track. As a society, we will have to monitor and support those
whose mental health is affected and address the impact that has
on many, many families up and down the country.
(North Norfolk) (Con)
It feels as though Norfolk is at the epicentre of this bird flu
epidemic. In parts of my constituency, on the Norfolk broads, we
have multiple reports of wild birds, including many swans, dying
on our rivers and lying in the water. The Environment Agency is
struggling to cope and there appears to be little consideration
for the wild bird deaths. Will my right hon. Friend ensure that
trained wildlife volunteers and rescue charities are given the
necessary and special permissions to help with this emergency and
are given special legal clearance to assist with the clear-up
operation?
My hon. Friend is right to identify that Norfolk, north Essex and
Suffolk are at the epicentre of this and have been under a
housing order for some time. Obviously, he has made
representations to me in private, as has my hon. Friend the
Member for Bury St Edmunds (), who is in her place. There are some challenges in
identifying where the disease is spreading, and members of the
public can certainly help by reporting sightings of dead birds,
to make sure that we are tracking where the disease is
spreading.
(Barnsley Central) (Lab)
As the Minister acknowledged, this is a deeply concerning for
poultry farmers, and that concern is felt right across Yorkshire,
as I know it is right across the country, not least because of
the proximity to the crucial Christmas period, as he said. I wish
to ask him about testing, because he will know that entire flocks
can die in the time between reporting a suspected case and
testing. Is any additional resource required to be put in place
in order to enable a more rapid testing process?
Currently, we feel as though we have enough resource and are able
to get on to farms quickly enough to identify the disease where
possible, and that is the moment when compensation begins. As the
hon. Gentleman has identified, rapid diagnosis and quick action
are required, and at this moment we feel as though we have the
resources to deliver that service.
(Erewash) (Con)
I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. Although, as he
has stated, the risk to humans from avian flu thankfully remains
low, we know from recent experience that clear public information
will be key to minimising the spread of the virus and keeping our
constituents safe. Using the lessons learnt from covid, and
indeed from previous foot and mouth outbreaks, what steps is he
taking to ensure that the public know what to do if they come
across sick or dead birds as they go about their everyday
lives?
My hon. Friend’s experience during the covid pandemic is
extensive and valuable to us. My advice to members of the public
is not to interfere with those dead birds, not to pick them up
and not to move them, but to report them to their local authority
if they see them dying on the roadside.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for his response. In my constituency of
Strangford, in Northern Ireland, I am aware of two confirmed
outbreaks of avian flu, one in Ballywalter, 4 miles from where we
live, and one in Kircubbin, 3 miles south of where we live. I am
also aware of an avian influenza outbreak in Castle Espie, which
is a wildlife refuge only 4 or 5 miles across Strangford Lough
from where we are. A lot of migrating wild fowl—brent geese,
wigeon, teal and mallard—are coming in, so clearly the
possibility of an avian influenza outbreak not only in my area
but across all of Northern Ireland is real. What can be done from
a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
perspective, and also with the Republic of Ireland? This thing is
so big that we can only deal with it together. Perhaps the
initiative to make that happen across the whole of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic is
one that you might want to push, Minister.
The hon. Gentleman is right to identify that this is not an
England-only problem; it is an international challenge and we
need to co-operate and work with our international colleagues.
Later this week, I will be going to the OECD, where I will be
meeting international farming Ministers to discuss this and many
other challenges that we face. He is right to identify the need
for international co-operation required to solve this terrible
challenge.
(Banff and Buchan) (Con)
I welcome the statement from my right hon. Friend, particularly
on the measures relating to compensation earlier in the process,
which will be most welcome, not least because, as he will be
aware, one recent outbreak of avian flu in Scotland has been in
my constituency in recent days. The shadow Minister rightly says
that the disease knows no borders, so may I ask the Minister what
discussions he has had in recent days with the Scottish
Government on this matter? Does he agree with Robert Thompson,
the chairman of the NFU Scotland poultry working group, that the
same housing order measure should be implemented in Scotland?
Does the Minister also agree with his statement that, although
the biosecurity hygiene measures do exist in Scotland, as has
been pointed out by the hon. Member for Perth and North
Perthshire (), the main risk is from the
wild bird population to those flocks that are still outside?
One big challenge we face is that there has not been a break in
the disease; traditionally, over the summer period the disease
has “gone away” and disappeared. Unfortunately, the levels of
infection have continued over the summer period and wild bird
populations now heading towards the UK for the winter, to warmer
areas such as Scotland from the north pole, are bringing that
disease with them. There are not many places in the country that
see Scotland as warm, but if you live in the north pole I suppose
it is. Our level of co-operation with the devolved
Administrations is exemplary. This is one area in which there is
no political axe to grind, and the level of co-operation and
engagement across the whole of the UK is exemplary.
(Carmarthen East and
Dinefwr) (Ind)
The Minister said in his reply to the shadow Minister that there
was close co-ordination with the devolved Administration, and he
has made that point repeatedly during the debate. However, the
Rural Affairs Minister said in the Senedd last week when
answering questions that she had had no contact with the previous
Secretary of State and had written only to the new one. Perhaps
that is not surprising, given that the previous Secretary of
State was not in post for particularly long. Will the Minister
ensure that that co-ordination is happening not just at official
level but at ministerial level?
That is a good question, and I make the commitment to the hon.
Gentleman now that my door is open to colleagues from across the
UK and the devolved Administrations to have those conversations.
There are a lot of conversations taking place at official level
and certainly the chief veterinary officers meet regularly.
(Newcastle-under-Lyme)
(Con)
We have already had avian flu in the north of
Newcastle-under-Lyme, following an outbreak in Kidsgrove last
month. I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement and what he is
doing, given the increasing numbers, and the compensation scheme
he has set out today, but to reassure consumers will he also set
out what the UK Health Security Agency has said about the risk to
public health and what the UK Food Standards Agency has said
about poultry products, including eggs, and whether they remain
safe to eat?
I can be absolutely categorical: there is absolutely no
identified risk to human health. That continues to be monitored.
We have the highest levels of food safety available to us. The
Food Standards Agency is engaged in the process and has given us
every assurance that there is no impact on human health at
all.
(Orkney and Shetland)
(LD)
I will not respond to the Minister’s disgraceful attack on
Scotland’s mild and gentle climate. Surely though, the difference
between avian flu and foot and mouth and other diseases of that
sort is that avian flu is rife in the wild bird population? It is
absolutely heartbreaking to walk on the beaches of the Northern
Isles at the moment and see the number of dead birds being washed
up all the time. The RSPB told me last week that some species,
such as the great skua—perhaps not the most sympathetic
species—could be threatened as a consequence. What more than
biosecurity can we do to ensure that the link between the wild
and domestic bird populations is broken?
The truth is that it is very difficult. Biosecurity is the best
tool available to us, but as the right hon. Gentleman says, the
disease continues to spread in wild bird populations. To a
certain extent, we have to hope that nature finds a way of
resolving this on its own and that birds with immunity to the
virus are able to breed with other immune birds and so build up
the natural immunity that can overcome this terrible virus.
(Blackpool South) (Con)
I thank the Minister for his statement and for the actions his
Department has already taken. Sadly, Blackpool has been affected
by avian flu—40% of the swan population in Stanley Park died last
winter and a high number of cases was reported recently among
seabirds. Although I understand that the risk to the general
public remains very low, what steps is his Department taking to
raise awareness of this issue, and what steps should members of
the public take to report suspected cases?
As I said earlier, it is important that members of the public do
not interfere with dead birds, as they could inadvertently spread
the virus by doing so. It is possible to report the discovery of
a dead bird either to DEFRA or to the local authority, and that
helps the Department to identify where the disease is
spreading.
(Upper Bann) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for his statement. This is indeed a worrying
situation. If avian flu were to enter our commercial flock in
Northern Ireland, it would have a devastating impact on our
poultry industry, including many family farms, on international
trade and on the wider economy. Can the Minister confirm that all
resources to address outbreaks and prevention—finance and
compensation, labour and gas stocks—are being made available?
Specifically on compensation, can he confirm that there is
adequate finance to pay it and that it will be paid promptly?
We do have adequate resources to deal with the challenges we
face. We brought forward the compensation payments, which will
lead to earlier payments being made to those being compensated.
It is worth acknowledging, however, that farmers are not
interested in compensation; they want to keep their flocks safe,
and the best way they can do that is through biosecurity. That is
not just about washing wellington boots and hands, of course. For
example, when bedding introduced to housing has been stored
outside, there is a risk that it has come into contact with
infected bird faeces. Stringent scrutiny of all the biosecurity
measures taken on farms is essential to prevent the spread of the
virus.
(Tiverton and Honiton)
(LD)
My question is also about compensation, which I know our
constituents do care about. Although it is good to hear the
Minister recognise that there has been uncertainty about
entitlement to compensation, I am unconvinced that the new
approach has been applied since 1 October. In my part of Devon,
poultry farmers have been severely affected in recent months.
Earlier today, I tried to call the Animal and Plant Health Agency
to check its advice on how soon after avian influenza is
identified farmers will be entitled to compensation. After
unsuccessful phone calls with two advisers, I was asked to email
them. How has the APHA guidance for our farmer constituents on
the earlier availability of compensation been improved since 1
October?
To be clear, the rules had not changed on 1 October. They changed
last week and we backdated the changes to 1 October, so the
kick-in moment for compensation for farmers who sadly lost their
flocks after 1 October moved slightly backward. I can write to
the hon. Member directly setting out the advice APHA is giving
farmers on a sheet of paper so that he can familiarise himself
with it.
|
