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Written question asked by Stuart Andrew (Conservative) on Friday, 10 October 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 October 2025. It was answered by Angela Eagle (Labour) on Wednesday, 26 November 2025 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Poultry: Agricultural Shows

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the potential economic impact of prohibiting poultry shows on (a) rural economies, (b) agricultural shows, (c) local businesses and (d) hobbyist breeders.

Answer

Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings (such as shows) 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 virus. Detailed risk assessments can be found on GOV.UK.

Any outbreak of notifiable avian disease has a significant impact on the UK poultry industry, through the trade and impacts on the bird keeper. Together, the Government and bird keepers must do everything we can to keep this disease out of kept bird flocks as there are limited effective actions that can be taken to prevent incursions of the disease through migratory wild birds or transmission between wild bird species.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
78115
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Poultry Rural areas Agricultural shows
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk