The next item on our agenda this afternoon is a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs on avian influenza, and I call on Lesley Griffiths to make that statement.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. In response to highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza outbreaks across Europe, north Africa and the middle east, I declared, as a precautionary measure, the whole of Wales as an avian influenza prevention zone on 6 December 2016. The prevention zone requires all keepers of poultry, and other captive birds, to keep their birds indoors, or take all appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds, and to enhance biosecurity on their premises. This was a precautionary measure to minimise the risk of poultry and captive birds being infected by wild birds. Similar measures were introduced in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, ensuring a co-ordinated approach across the UK.

On 16 December, highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza was confirmed in turkeys at premises in Lincolnshire. The majority of the turkeys at the farm died quickly from the infection, with the remainder being humanely culled. A 3 km protection zone and a 10 km surveillance zone were put in place around the premises, restricting movements from premises identified in the zones. Following confirmation of the disease in Lincolnshire, I took further action to protect poultry and captive birds in Wales by introducing a temporary suspension on poultry gatherings such as sales and shows.

EU trade is dependent on strict certification for movement of live poultry and animal products. Following the Lincolnshire case, no trade was allowed from the infected premises, in line with EU requirements. Similarly, no poultry or poultry products can be moved to the UK from the protection zones and surveillance zones imposed in other EU countries. We are continuing to assess the wider impacts on international trade, but we are aware that some non-EU countries have already imposed restrictions.

The disease was confirmed in a wild duck, a wigeon, in Carmarthenshire on 22 December. This was the first finding in a wild bird in the UK, and was not unexpected, given the disease had been confirmed in wild migratory species throughout Europe. Prior to this finding, wild bird surveillance had been increased, with the reporting threshold for species susceptible to this virus strain reduced from five dead birds to one. Members of the public have been encouraged to report any dead wild waterfowl, such as ducks, geese, swans or gulls, and five or more dead wild birds of other species in the same location, to the GB helpline.

Since the finding in Llanelli, there have been further findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dead wild birds in England and Scotland, and in Wales, in another wild duck, a teal, in Conwy. It is likely more cases will be found, which will be reported on a weekly basis.

On 3 January, our chief veterinary officer confirmed disease on a smallholding in Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire. The premises, which had six chickens and 19 ducks, was put under restriction, and the birds were humanely culled. The CVO established a 3 km protection zone and a 10 km surveillance zone around the infected premises to reduce the opportunity for the spread of disease, the requirements of which are on the Welsh Government website. The poultry keepers identified in the zones will be visited by the Animal and Plant Health Agency and subject to targeted veterinary investigation. This case reinforces my earlier action, and I am extremely concerned to ensure all keepers of poultry, particularly backyard flocks, make every effort to protect their birds from contact with potentially infected wild birds.

Last week, I extended the prevention zone in Wales to 28 February, which I considered following the Pontyberem case, the continued findings in wild birds across GB, and expert advice. DEFRA and the Scottish Government have done the same. I understand some poultry keepers are having difficulty adhering to all of the requirements of the prevention zone, particularly keeping their birds indoors or separate from wild birds. Housing birds that are not used to being housed or confined for a sustained period may create welfare and behavioural problems. Guidance on maintaining welfare, and a variety of environmental enrichment options for captive birds, including poultry, is, again, available on the Welsh Government website.

I know poultry keepers care about their birds and will understand the actions I have taken are aimed at protecting their birds from disease. Compliance with the prevention zone requirements, and the other restrictions around the premises in Pontyberem, apply equally to keepers of backyard flocks as they do to large commercial premises.

The media have been informed of the declarations implementing restrictions. Guidance is available on our website alerting the public and poultry keepers—and across our social media feeds. The CVO conducted a round of interviews last week across public and commercial outlets covering Wales and the UK as a whole, and a series of further interviews is planned with smaller regional radio stations this week. The latest information has been widely available in the media, but even so, some keepers may still not be aware of the requirements. Poultry keepers with 50 birds or more must register their flocks on the poultry register, and I would strongly encourage all poultry keepers, including those with fewer than 50 birds, to provide their details to the poultry register. This will ensure that they can be contacted immediately, via e-mail or text update, in an avian disease outbreak, enabling them to protect their flock at the earliest opportunity.

The actions and control measures put in place have been proportionate, targeting the activities of highest risk, to minimise impact on international trade, the economy and the sustainability of the poultry industry within Wales. I can assure everyone about the Welsh Government’s continued efforts in this constantly evolving disease situation. I have received regular updates from the CVO and my officials, who worked throughout the Christmas period and who remain closely engaged with other administrations, monitoring the situation and taking action as necessary. The level of risk of avian influenza to poultry and other captive birds from wild birds will not decrease in the coming weeks and may even increase when the spring wild bird migration period begins. Work is in hand with DEFRA and the Scottish Government to consider what the exit strategy might be for lifting the prevention zone.

The Llywydd took the Chair.

I cannot stress enough the need for those who keep poultry flocks and other domestic birds to remain alert for signs of the disease, to contact their private veterinarians if they have any concerns and to practice the highest levels of biosecurity.

Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement this afternoon? I think it’s important that, from the outset, we reinforce the message that the risk to public health from this virus is very low and that it does not pose a food safety risk for Welsh consumers.

I appreciate the delicacy of this particular issue and that’s why it’s so important that the Welsh Government is quick to act and is working collaboratively with other Governments across the UK. It’s crucial that any contingency planning is co-ordinated with other Governments across the UK, so that Government policies don’t hinder or even escalate the current problem.

In light of today’s statement, given that the Cabinet Secretary has made it clear that her officials are engaging closely with the other administrations, perhaps she could, therefore, update us on the latest discussions that the Welsh Government has had at a ministerial level with the UK Government and the other devolved Governments regarding this particular outbreak, and how the monitoring of disease threats like the H5N8 strain can be strengthened across Governments in the future.

Of course, it’s so crucial that smaller keepers and those who keep chickens and other birds on a more domestic level are kept updated with the latest developments in relation to this particular strain, and not just the commercial poultry sector. I’m pleased that poultry keepers are being encouraged to provide details of their flocks to the poultry register, which is a crucial anchor for the Welsh Government to better understand the situation here in Wales. I sincerely hope that even those keepers with fewer than 50 birds provide their details so that, in the event of an outbreak, they can have access to the appropriate information quickly and thereby better protect their birds. Could the Cabinet Secretary therefore provide us with an update on the frequency of keepers who are providing their details to the register? Perhaps the Cabinet Secretary could provide an initial assessment of the effectiveness of this register at this stage.

Unfortunately, the signs of avian flu, as I understand it, can vary between species of bird and could range from something very mild, like a change in colour, to something far more drastic. However, because the disease can react differently, it’s very difficult to effectively monitor the disease in kept poultry and even more so in wild birds. There is, of course, still an important role for surveillance to play in relation to this outbreak, and today’s statement confirms that bird surveillance has, of course, increased. However, perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can tell us a bit more about how this enhanced bird surveillance, specifically in wild birds, is taking place across Wales at an operational level.

The avian flu strain will, no doubt, have an effect on Wales’s free-range sector, which, of course, prides itself on the animal’s ability to roam freely. We know that 89 per cent of egg production units in Wales produce free-range eggs. Further to my question to the First Minister earlier today, perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can tell us a little bit more about what assessment has been made of the impact of the strain of avian flu on this particular sector. I appreciate that today’s statement references the Welsh Government’s guidance on maintaining welfare for captive birds, however can she tell us if there are any implications on the welfare of poultry on free-range farms, and if so, how has the Welsh Government mitigated any potential welfare implications as a result of this strain of avian flu?

Now, last year the Cabinet Secretary brought forward a statement on exotic animal disease threats. I asked about how the Welsh Government prepares Wales, in the event of an outbreak of a disease, to ensure that our support processes have access to the appropriate resources and funding. I’m sure the Cabinet Secretary would agree that it’s essential that there is adequate funding in place to ensure that farmers, local authorities and agencies are confident that they have what they need to deliver disease control measures here in Wales. Therefore, I’d be grateful if the Cabinet Secretary could now tell us how the Welsh Government allocated resources in this area, and how that funding is monitored so that the people of Wales can be as confident as possible that the Welsh Government is taking action to make Wales as safe as it can be at all times.

In closing, Llywydd, can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement this afternoon? It’s incumbent on all of us in this Chamber to do what we can to promote the importance of good biosecurity, and to encourage our constituents to report dead wild waterfowl or other dead wild birds. I’m pleased that this afternoon’s statement confirms that the Welsh Government is working alongside other Governments to ensure that a streamlined co-ordinated approach is delivered across the UK. I look forward to hearing more about the Welsh Government’s action in this area via the Cabinet Secretary’s response.

I thank Paul Davies for his questions and comments. I think it was very good that you, sort of, reiterated what I said about the risk to public health: it is very low, there have been no incidents at all of this strain of influenza in the public, and the Foods Standards Agency has said it’s very safe to eat both poultry and eggs. I think we were very quick to act—we took the decision around the precautionary measures, as I said, on the 6 December—and gave it a great deal of thought. I think the fact around free range was something that, obviously, was of concern to me, because you didn’t want to start the clock too early, because of obviously the 12 weeks in relation to the free-range status. You know, you didn’t want to start too early because that would have an impact on that. But I think it was right that we acted quickly and, certainly, I think the co-ordinated approach between the UK Government, Scotland and Wales has been able to give that very consistent approach, and Northern Ireland obviously followed closely after.

The chief veterinary officers I think have daily discussions, and certainly officials were having daily telephone conversations, and there have been meetings. So, at an official level, those discussions are going on at a very frequent rate. In relation to ministerial discussions, last week all four agricultural Ministers from across the UK were at the Oxford Farming Conference—sorry, three were there. The Scottish Minister wasn’t there, but there was a representative from Scotland. So, again, there were discussions, both at ministerial and official level.

I think the poultry register—. It’s very important—obviously, if you’ve got over 50 birds then it’s mandatory—but what I’ve asked officials to do it look at whether it should be mandatory for fewer than 50, because I am concerned that everybody does know about this. If you’ve only got two chickens, it’s just as important that you care just as much about your poultry as people with more. So, I’ve asked officials to have a look at whether it’s possible to introduce that also. But, again, I think it needs to be a consistent approach across the UK, so that’s something that we will be looking at going forward.

The poultry register has been, I think, in use for about 12 years, so it is a very well-maintained register. But I do think we need to look at what we can do for people who’ve got fewer than 50 birds. You’re quite right about the symptoms—it could be respiratory, it could be diarrhoea, it could be discolouration of the neck and face, so I think it’s very important, again, that people are aware of what the symptoms are. You discussed about free range, and you’re quite right—89 per cent of our egg production in Wales is free range and there is an impact on that. One of the reasons we’re looking at how we have this exit strategy is around free range also.

The welfare of birds is very important and, again, we know that birds aren’t used to being housed. You get different diseases when you’ve got birds together. Boredom is obviously something that has to be looked at, and that’s why we’ve put advice on the website regarding environment enrichment.

In relation to resources and support, we haven’t put any additional resources in at the minute. I asked officials yesterday if there were any concerns about the capacity of local authorities, because, obviously, they’re the ones that would have to come in if there wasn’t compliance. Again, I have to say officials were particularly pleased with the way Carmarthenshire council had been able to respond in light of the outbreak in Pontyberem.

Finally, I think your final point—it is down to all of us, and it’s a very good opportunity. One of the reasons I wanted to have this statement today was to again say that we can only just keep reiterating the importance, particularly, of biosecurity.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for bringing this statement. As she has just said, maybe we, as politicians, can’t be of assistance directly in dealing with this disease, but it is important that we discuss it so that that disseminates a strong message from the Government on the prevention zone and on food security, which is still the case in Wales. That message should be conveyed strongly.

May I take this opportunity to thank the Cabinet Secretary and, through her, her staff and the chief veterinary officer for working over the Christmas period, and for being available for local councils too, of course, to co-ordinate issues related to this disease and the need for close collaboration with other Governments over the ensuing period? As has just been mentioned, this sector is important to the Welsh economy. We tend to think, perhaps, about meat, lamb and beef, but it is 6 per cent of agricultural GDP emerging from the poultry sector, and that is worth something in the region of £100 million. So, it is important that the message is conveyed strongly that our food is safe and that appropriate steps are being taken to deal with the disease and to prevent the spread of it.

Most of the questions have already been asked and answered, if truth be told, but I do have a few specific questions just so that I can have some clarity on these issues. We’ve already discussed free-range poultry, or whatever you want to use in Welsh for free range, but it is a very important sector for Wales and I think it’s more important for Wales than it is for England, if truth be told. I think after some 12 weeks there is a risk that the category or designation of free-range eggs may be lost because the poultry are kept indoors, and it is possible that free-range egg producers may be ill-prepared for keeping poultry indoors for a long period of time. That could have an impact on animal health in those circumstances. So, what specific steps are being taken in this area to ensure that the sector can be safeguarded, because there will be demand for produce from this sector and we must ensure that the sector is able to survive any impact brought about by this disease?

The second question specifically emerges from the statement that you made on 20 December when, at that point, you mentioned the fact that there was no prevention on gathering some birds together—pigeons and caged birds, for example. Although the only show that I was aware of had been postponed, it is still possible, under the current restrictions, I believe, that those who keep pigeons and doves can continue to meet. Have you reviewed that, given that it seems that the disease has spread in Wales, in both north and south Wales now?

The final question is: although you have been very clear on the messages that you have conveyed as Cabinet Secretary, we’re all aware that the press in Wales doesn’t perhaps fully report Welsh political issues. So, are you confident in your own mind that all poultry keepers in Wales, including those under the threshold for statutory registration, are fully aware of the status of Wales in relation to this disease and are fully aware of the biosecurity measures that need to be taken to prevent the spread of this disease?

If I can start at the end of Simon Thomas’s questions: am I confident that every single person who has got even one bird knows about it? I would say ‘no’. That’s why it’s so important that, as you said, we as politicians get that information out. The CVO has done a significant round of interviews last week. She did the BBC breakfast television network. We thought it was really important to get out there and get that message out. So, I would like to think that everybody has picked it up off our social media, from the television, from the radio and from our website. But, you know, hand on heart, can I say 100 per cent? No, but I hope, also, that discussions will take place between poultry keepers. The fact that we did suspend the gatherings of birds later in December—on 20 December—again, that message will get out. So, I am hopeful that, now it has been a month since we brought in the prevention zone, that information is out there. So, anything that anybody can do to encourage more people to talk about it is, I think, really important.

You asked about free range, and I alluded in my answer to Paul Davies to the decision to introduce the prevention zone back on 6 December. I took it after a great deal of advice and consideration from the CVO. You will remember that DEFRA were the first to introduce it, closely followed by Scotland and then by Wales. Northern Ireland were a little bit further on behind us. One of the reasons why I did think so carefully about it, because it is important that the action we bring forward is proportionate, was specifically around free range, because that 12 weeks—. You know, once that clock starts ticking—. So, we are having discussions about what we will do after 28 February—obviously, now we’ve got the prevention zone to 28 February, which takes us absolutely up to that 12 weeks. So, it will depend on what cases we have over the next seven or eight weeks, but the officials are having discussions with DEFRA and Scottish colleagues, in particular, about having that exit strategy from that prevention zone.

You specifically asked about pigeons. The prevention zone conditions do apply to all captive birds. However, pigeons are not of significance in the transmission of this particular strain of avian influenza, so they can still be flown. But, of course, currently, it’s the close season for racing pigeons, and there are no racing schedules, apparently, before the beginning of April. So, again, I don’t think it would be proportionate to extend any of these measures to sports and recreational pursuits at this time, but we will have to keep all options under continual review.

I hope it won’t disconcert the Cabinet Secretary too much if I offer my full support for the measures that she has taken. I have frequently been a critic of hers in the past on the question of proportionality. I think that, in this particular instance, the action that she has taken is proportionate. It is in the interests of all poultry keepers that we prevent the spread of this disease. Having lived through the horrors of the Edwina Curry salmonella-in-eggs scare 30 years ago, where a lot of unnecessary hysteria was caused, I think it’s important to remind people that avian flu comes in many, many different strains. Most of them are not a real menace, even to poultry keepers, let alone to the public. There is no food safety risk, as far as we know, at all. Therefore, there should not be any knock-on effects on those who sell food products that are related to birds.

I wonder if the Cabinet Secretary can tell me to what extent we can improve the general public’s understanding of these issues. Of course, among poultry keepers, we might expect a higher level of understanding than the public generally. As regards reporting of the dead birds that are seen, there is guidance that says that you should report any waterfowl or gulls—or, indeed, any bird—in quantities of five or more found together. That’s important information that is needed by the authorities to understand exactly how the disease is spreading, if it is. Biosecurity is the key to sorting this out. It sounded, from what the Cabinet Secretary said earlier on, that we are likely to see these restrictions continue for some time because of the time of year. We currently have, as she mentioned, migration in the coming weeks. Therefore, this is likely to produce problems for people who keep poultry for commercial reasons.

As regards the smaller flocks, the latest incident, in Pontyberem, involved a relatively small number of birds, and in these circumstances, I wonder what could be done to encourage people to net enclosures for keeping their birds, in which case there should be very little interference with the lives both of the birds themselves and, indeed, of poultry keepers. Given the animal welfare implications of housing indoors for significant periods of time, if this is likely to continue for several months, it may well be a worthwhile investment for people to have netted areas where birds could be let out, and I wonder to what extent her department could assist in that respect.

Thank you. I certainly don’t want to be compared to Edwina Currie, so I do welcome your comments around proportionate measures.

You’re quite right: there are a variety of strains of avian influenza and this is a high pathway one, this H5N8. I think you raise an interesting point around the general public, because, you know, it’s been hard enough getting that information out to poultry keepers, but, equally, it is a matter of public health interest, and it’s very important that people understand that there is no impact or that the impact on public health is very low—this strain has never been seen in a member of the public—and also that food safety is very important and, as I said in my opening remarks, that poultry and eggs, the Food Standards Agency has said, are safe to eat. So, again, I go back to how we’ve let poultry keepers know. It’s really important that we get that message out. One of the decisions taken this week is that we’ll do a round of interviews with local radio stations, because people, obviously, listen to local radio stations as well, building on the significant work that the chief veterinary officer undertook last week.

Biosecurity is so important, and it’s really important that very high standards of biosecurity are maintained. We’ve now got the protection zone—sorry, the prevention zone—up until 28 February, which, I mentioned, takes us right up to that 12-week period before we have to then take some very significant decisions around free range. So, we’ve got the zone in place until 28 February.

In relation to netting, I think that’s a very good point, because a lot of people—. When we announced that zone—and, as I say, it’s very important that you take proportionate action—I was very aware that there would be animal welfare sort of situations arising, because people wouldn’t have had the houses ready for the poultry. So, if you can just net them, that keeps them away from wild birds in some respects. So, it might be worth, as you say, if people haven’t been able to get those houses straight away, you know, to have that net and that mesh there and to make sure that, when they feed the poultry, the feed is not accessible to wild birds. That’s also very important. So, if people could look on the website, there’s a lot of information on our website. We’ve got that information out on our social media feeds also, and, hopefully, today, you know, even if just a few more people pick up from this statement—. Maybe Members, when they do their weekly—I don’t know; I do a weekly newsletter on e-mail—or if we, you know, when we’re in our advice surgeries, we could get that message out also.

I don’t wish, Cabinet Secretary, to delay the debate or lengthen the debate by asking all the questions that have already been asked, so I’m going to focus in on just two areas. One of them has been mentioned, but it’s about how we let the public know about the mechanisms for reporting, because not all the public who may come across something they think could possibly be suspicious will understand the process of reporting. So, maybe we could look at letting them know that they can go to their local council, for example, or any other authority within their locality who could then pass that on on their behalf—it might be useful in reporting.

I think the other area that perhaps could be explained little bit more is the advantage to those people who don’t have flocks of 50 birds or more in actually registering their birds and what they get from that, because I know from somebody who has only got four birds that they get kept up to date on the latest situation so that they can protect themselves.

Also, I’m going to reiterate what I said earlier: we do have an unfortunate circumstance at the moment with the weather in eastern Europe. These are all migratory birds that are affected, and the migration could possibly increase if that weather front hangs in eastern Europe, where a lot of these birds are coming from. So, if you are able to tell us whether that is in your consideration.

Thank you, Joyce Watson, for those comments and questions. I think you’re quite right: we need to make sure the public do understand that if they come across a dead bird or a group of five dead birds, they should report that, but they need to know where to report it. So, there is the GB helpline, but you’re quite right: they can report it to their local authorities as well.

I think the point I made—I think it was in my response to Paul Davies—was that I’ve asked officials to look at what we can do for keepers of under 50 birds to make sure that they do register. There are a number of them already registered, so they will get the e-mail and the text update immediately. But it is my concern that people with, say, two or four or six birds aren’t getting the information. I think the only way we can do that is to make it compulsory for them to register, but that’s a significant piece of work. It would require secondary legislation, for instance, and as I mentioned, I think it would be good to have a consistent approach across the UK, but those discussions have started.

The reason I mentioned that the incidence is unlikely to decrease is because of the issues that you referred to in relation to migrations. So, they are very much in consideration in the discussions, particularly between the chief veterinary officers and officials at a UK level.

Thank you again, Cabinet Secretary, for your second statement on this. I think that proves to us as Members just how seriously you, in fact, are taking this. Obviously, it was a great disappointment when it was discovered that a deal teal was found at the RSPB Conwy reserve. I have to tell you that, on Twitter last night, the manager of the reserve, Julian, was concerned that this will cause people not to visit. So, it’s how we get that positive message out there that at least it has been identified, and it’s going in as part of your biosecurity. On my Twitter feed, I made the announcement that you were making a statement today, and they will be looking out for that. So, anything you can do, working with local authorities, to highlight the fact that it is still safe for visitors to attend.

Moving on, you mentioned the smallholding in Carmarthenshire, and that was just a handful of birds, really. I just wanted to ask, on that particular example, had they already registered the fact that they were keeping that poultry, or were they in fact on any register. The reason why I ask this: I actually know quite a few people who keep poultry—low numbers, but they just do not see the necessity. They tend to imagine that it’s the bigger poultry farmers, and those who keep animals free range. I just wondered are you working with local authorities so that they can perhaps, on the ground, be more aware.

Also, certainly in my part of north Wales, there are numerous hobbyists and visitor attractions keeping tropical bird aviaries, birds of prey and of course domestic poultry, and it’s very difficult to mesh off in order to feed birds and everything, in terms of those kinds of birds, without wild birds coming down to visit and, actually, very close contact. It’s how can you actually make people very aware of the dangers posed by avian flu and the need for all outdoor poultry owners to come forward, join the register and keep them indoors. Perhaps your department could use social media more and then we, as Members, can look out for it and tweet it, because I think it’s a message we need to get out.

Clearly the onus is as much on these bird owners as large-scale poultry farmers, who may be finding it difficult, as you rightly pointed out, to adhere to the requirements of the prevention zone. How can you ensure that they are also taking the necessary precautions in terms of sanitation, disinfection and registration? The H5N8 strain is highly pathogenic and given its potential to spread can cross-contaminate or mutate, and we obviously cannot afford to underestimate the potential dangers. How are you seeking to prevent any cross-contamination when contact between humans and infected birds is inevitable, because clearly people are feeding them not realising that at the time? I’ve done quite a lot of work on this previously, and I am in fact a bird owner myself and I know that if I actually contract flu, it depends which flu it is, but you have to be very careful, because you can cross-infect.

Finally, you state that the level of risk of avian influenza may increase over the coming weeks. The World Organisation for Animal Health suggests vaccination should this situation become more problematic. I just wondered, in terms of resource, how you’re able to look at that, if—and I’m only saying ‘if’ because obviously there’s a cost with that. But more so, what about the fact that, in our local authorities across Wales, a lot of our regulatory and public protection departments have lost budget and they’ve lost many of their important officers? How do you think, given that this is a situation that could—? We know it’s on the increase. How do you think you are placed—your department, and indeed our local authority departments—in actually dealing with this in terms of where we can all have full confidence?

Thank you. Just in relation to the Member’s questions around vaccination, there is actually no vaccine against H5N8 currently authorised for use in the UK. So, I think that’s a very important point to get across. I mentioned, in a previous answer, about local authorities, and certainly in Carmarthenshire, my officials particularly said how quick they had been to deal with the incident in Carmarthenshire and there were certainly no concerns around capability or capacity. I think the point that you raised about the dead teal that was found in Conwy—. I think it’s just as important to get that message out about tourism and public health at the same time—that it’s very safe to visit and it’s safe to eat poultry and eggs.

Again, I think I’ve answered the questions around how do we get people with under 50 birds to know about this information. The best way is to put yourself on that poultry register so you get the updates regularly. I’m very pleased to hear from Janet that she is using her social media feed. I think my department has been very, very good. Certainly over the Christmas period we’ve managed to tweet a great deal of the information that we’ve been getting out, because it has evolved so quickly since I first took the decision around the prevention zone on 6 December.

Biosecurity—people are aware of biosecurity. I really can’t emphasise that point too much. I can’t possibly, and neither can my officials, visit every farm and every poultry keeper. So, again, it’s just about making sure we continually get that message out because, sometimes, when things go quiet as well, people might not think the risk is there. So it is really important that, over the next seven or eight weeks, and while that zone is in place until 28 February, we continually take every opportunity to get that message out.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary.