The Health and Safety Executive chairs the Government Oversight Group for Rodenticide Stewardship (GOG). GOG received annual reports from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) on the residues of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) detected in barn owls and red kites from 2016 until 2022 and these are published online by UKCEH. There has not been a statistically significant reduction in exposure of barn owls to SGARs in this time. Natural England monitors SGARs in the red kite and there was no observed change in concentrations for the sum of SGAR residues found in this species over the period 2015 – 2021. Reports have been unavailable since 2022 as outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza prohibited collection of samples. Sample collection resumed in 2025 and GOG expects to receive further SGAR residues reports by January 2027.

Great Britain regained freedom from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in May 2026 and the current risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza from wild birds, including released captive-bred pheasants and partridges, is assessed as low.

Defra’s Gamebird rapid evidence review was published in 2020 and is available here. Further research into these findings was published in 2025 and available here.

I thank the noble Baroness. I jolly well hope that too; I am waiting to find out. She raised the important issue of avian influenza. It has caused some serious problems. This year was worse than last year—not as bad as a few years ago—and it is not going to go away, so the way we manage avian influenza is incredibly important. That has to include the way that we manage and release game birds.

Given that the avian influenza risk has been rated high or very high continuously since October 2024 and that licensing conditions were designed specifically to limit transmission to protected birds, can the Minister confirm that the Government feel that this approach is working given that, currently, as I understand it, only one special protection area is expected to receive standard approval this season? Perhaps I may just say that I am very much looking forward to continuing to do lots of Defra Oral Questions with the noble Baroness in September and hopeful that we will do so.

Under the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, eligible poultry keepers have had access to capital grants to improve welfare in laying hens. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, which closed its fourth and final round on 12 May this year, has offered grants up to £25,000 for equipment and technology to support higher welfare production. Earlier this year, we also announced funding to deliver on-farm Poultry Biosecurity Reviews, which launched on 2 June 2026, to build resilience against Avian Influenza and other threats. We continue to work with industry on how the Pathway can support high standards of animal welfare including simplifying and rationalising any grant funding from 2027 onwards.

Under the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, eligible poultry keepers have had access to capital grants to improve welfare in laying hens. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, which closed its final round on 12 May, offered grants up to £25,000 for equipment and technology for higher welfare production. Earlier this year, Defra announced funding to deliver on-farm Poultry Biosecurity Reviews, expected to launch summer 2026, to build resilience against Avian Influenza and other threats. Defra continues to work with industry on how the Pathway can support high standards of animal welfare including simplifying and rationalising any grant funding from 2027 onwards.

A 2024 Natural England risk review [see attached] concluded that there is a very high likelihood that captive-reared mallards will be exposed to highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 after release. Once exposed, there is a very high likelihood of widespread morbidity and mortality in wild birds. The review concludes that captive-reared juvenile mallards have potential to act as both a reservoir and amplifier of H5N1 and to play a major role in H5N1’s continued persistence and dissemination.

The release of captive-reared mallards is already prohibited in Protection Zones, Surveillance Zone and Captive Bird Monitoring Controlled Zones. Releases are also prohibited in Avian Influenza Prevention Zones with housing measures.

Defra is not aware that a habitats regulations assessment (HRA) has been carried out for the release of Mallards (for shooting) on Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in England.

This Government is considering the available evidence on the impacts of gamebird and mallard release and shooting in England, including Natural England’s report The risks from H5N1 to wild birds from captive-reared mallard, published on 24 June 2024. This Government will also engage with the sector and other stakeholder groups as this work progresses. This work is helping to inform consideration of whether further measures, including licensing, may be needed in relation to the release of captive-reared birds.

In the last five years there have confirmed cases of both low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on premises containing pheasants. Some premises confirmed with HPAI and LPAI have also had red-legged partridges. There have also been findings in both species in found dead wild birds tested as part of wild bird surveillance.

Epidemiological investigations at infected premises did not find any evidence to support likely transmission from farmed gamebirds to wild birds on these premises.

In the event of a confirmed case of notifiable avian disease in gamebirds, The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) makes an assessment of whether the gamebirds are considered for the purposes of disease control to be kept poultry or wild birds. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. If there is uncertainty of their status this is escalated to Defra for a final decision. Under disease control legislation “wild game bird” means a wild bird which lives freely in the wild and is hunted for human consumption.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

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.

The November 2025 qualitative risk assessment assessed the overall risk of spread of avian influenza at a gathering of Passeriformes as medium.

Given the heightened risk in December 2025, gatherings involving Passeriformes could not be permitted by general licence. They were therefore permitted only by specific licence, allowing case-by-case assessment and tailored risk mitigation measures.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

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. Detailed risk assessments can be found on Gov.UK.

As legislation requires this to be a risk-based decision, assessments of the impact to individual events, the number of events, or types of event, have not been made.

Defra’s disease control measures seek to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare. Our approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst protecting public health and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak.

Assessing the risk of each gathering is complex. Factors taken into account include, but are not limited to: the background risk; the origin locations of the birds; the species of birds attending; biosecurity measures; the number of birds and species; and the number of exhibitors. Gatherings, including mixed species exhibitions may be permitted, subject to licence.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The decision as to whether to allow gatherings by way of a general licence is kept under regular review and is informed by qualitative risk assessment containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice. 

Where risk levels are not sufficiently low to permit gatherings by general licence, applicants can apply for a specific licence for a gathering. A preliminary, individual risk assessment will be completed for each application, and a specific licence may be granted if the gathering and the transport of birds to and from it would not significantly increase the risk of the spread of bird flu.

Defra has engaged with stakeholders to understand the challenges for those applying for specific licences, including small bird-keeping groups, and regularly considers the feedback received from those applying for licences. Defra has reviewed and improved the clarity of guidance for bird gatherings on gov.uk. Defra continues to work on improving the application process for specific licences, to ensure those applying can provide all the required information for APHA to assess their application.

Although general licences are now in place for poultry (except Anseriformes) and other captive birds, Defra continues to engage with stakeholders to understand achievable conditions for gatherings held under specific or general licence.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

In England, bird gatherings are regulated under Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006. To hold a gathering which includes birds not covered by general licence, applicants can apply for a specific licence.

The specific licence application process is as follows:

1. Applications must be made at least 20 days before the planned event.
2. A preliminary, individual risk assessment will be completed by APHA for each application, based on the risk at the time of application. Assessing the risk of each gathering is complex. Factors taken into account include, but are not limited to: the background risk; the origin locations of the birds; the species of birds attending; biosecurity measures; the number of birds; and the number of premises.
3. Seven days before the gathering, the risk is re-assessed, to reflect any change since the preliminary risk assessment.
4. If the risk assessment supports this, a specific licence is issued for the gathering.