---

3 Nov 2005 : Column 1267W—continued

London Olympics

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2005, Official Report, column 715W, on London Olympics, when the procurement strategy will be published. [21238]

Mr. Caborn: Following the publication of the Procurement Principles, which recognise the need to maximise the potential to improve the environment in East London and minimise adverse environmental impact of the Games and legacy development, the Olympic Delivery Authority plans to publish its draft procurement strategy in December.

Scottish Olympic Team

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on a possible separate Scottish Olympic team. [24222]

Mr. Caborn: I have received one written parliamentary question tabled by the hon. Member on 28 October.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will support the creation of a Scottish Olympic team if it is clear that this is what Scottish people want. [24258]

Mr. Caborn: Recognition of National Olympic Committees is purely a matter for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Under the current IOC charter, the IOC recognises the British Olympic Association as the Olympic Committee for the UK. Given Scotland's constitutional status in relation to the rest of the UK, it is highly unlikely that the IOC would consider a separate Scottish team.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with other countries on the risks of avian influenza. [19148]

 
3 Nov 2005 : Column 1268W
 

Mr. Bradshaw: I have had discussions with ministerial counterparts on a regular basis since the H5N1 strain of the virus emerged in South East Asia four years ago. My officials attended a series of meetings in Brussels last week, organised by the European Commission, to discuss issues on avian influenza (AI).

The Commission convened two extraordinary meetings of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) to discuss the latest situation on avian influenza. The Standing Committee endorsed, unanimously, the reinforced safeguard measures proposed by the European Commission to reduce the risk of introducing avian influenza into the UK.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the two parrot samples obtained from dead birds at the quarantine facility in Essex were referred to in her Department's press release 471/05 as pooled and not examined separately. [23893]

Mr. Bradshaw: Standard operating procedures in VLA laboratories permit the pooling of samples from birds in quarantine facilities.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is common practice for field officers from her Department to pool samples taken for the determination of H5N1 avian influenza virus. [23894]

Mr. Bradshaw: Determination of presence of H5N1 avian influenza virus is carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. Officers of the VLA work to standard operating procedures which permit the pooling of samples from birds.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether breaches of quarantine rules have been observed by her officers at the quarantine facility in Essex referred to in her Department's press release 471/05. [23902]

Mr. Bradshaw: The extent to which quarantine requirements have been complied with is being investigated by the local authority who are responsible under the relevant legislation for any enforcement action that may be appropriate if the legal requirements have been breached.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether field tests are available for the detection of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in birds. [23905]

Mr. Bradshaw: There are no commercially available field tests officially approved in the UK which are available for detection of H5N1 avian influenza in birds.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on confirming the working hypothesis on the origin of the H5N1 virus recovered from bird samples taken at the quarantine facility in Essex. [23909]

Mr. Bradshaw: Work is still in hand to analyse the samples taken from birds which had died or been slaughtered in the quarantine facility in Essex. The virus
 
3 Nov 2005 : Column 1269W
 
isolated so far has been placed in the same group as those which caused outbreaks of disease in ducks and geese in China in 2003.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has for isolating premises on which poultry infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus are identified. [23910]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003 outlines the restrictions that are put in place in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza.

If a poultry keeper suspects avian influenza, he must immediately notify the divisional veterinary manager and stop any movements on or off the premises which might spread disease.

The notification will be investigated by an Officer of the State Veterinary Service who will confirm those restrictions in writing. If disease is confirmed, the premises will be cleansed and disinfected before any poultry are allowed onto them again.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she has issued on the minimum safe distance to be maintained between premises on which poultry infected by the H5N1 avian influenza virus are identified and premises where uninfected birds may continue to be kept. [23911]

Mr. Bradshaw: If a premises is infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus, all premises within the standard protection zone described in the Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003 will be surveyed by officers of the State Veterinary Service, regardless of their distance from the infected premises. Poultry in the infected premises will be culled.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she has issued on the cleaning and disinfection measures that must be taken in poultry houses from which birds suffering from H5N1 avian influenza are removed. [23913]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department undertakes preliminary cleansing and disinfection on any premises where poultry are killed for disease control purposes. This is a spray down with an approved disinfectant to reduce airborne virus load. The occupier is responsible for secondary cleansing and disinfection which is to remove all trace of the virus and to avoid re-occurrence of disease when birds are re-introduced. The disinfection is carried out under the supervision of the department who must also be satisfied it has been effectively completed before allowing restocking to occur. Guidance on the responsibilities of the occupier is provided at the time of the cull and includes advice on suitable methods of cleansing, Health and Safety implications and minimising impact on the environment. This guidance is on the DEFRA website.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements have been made for the disposal of poultry carcases infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus. [23914]

 
3 Nov 2005 : Column 1270W
 

Mr. Bradshaw: Disposal of carcases of birds infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza would be by off-site incineration or rendering in specialist plants. If existing incineration and rendering capacity were fully utilised, carcases would be disposed of by deep burial in suitably engineered commercial licensed landfills.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department has received from the Taiwan Government on her Department's working hypothesis on the origins of the H5N1 avian influenza virus identified in a quarantine site in Essex. [23919]

Mr. Bradshaw: We have received representations from the Taiwan Government, both directly and through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Defra officials are meeting with representatives of the Taiwan Government on 3 November 2005 to discuss the working hypothesis on the origins of the H5N1 virus identified in the UK.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the merits of seeking to develop a poultry vaccine for the current epidemic strains of H5N1. [23937]

Mr. Bradshaw: Several animal health companies have already developed and produced poultry vaccines which claim protection against the H5N1 strain.

There are no authorised vaccines in the UK for avian influenza H5N1 strain.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there is licensed drug or other treatment available for prophylactic on poultry to (a) reduce susceptibility to infection by H5N1 avian influenza virus and (b) reduce virus shed in the event of an infection episode. [23938]

Mr. Bradshaw: At present there are no such products, including vaccines, authorised in the UK either to protect against susceptibility to avian influenza H5N1 strain infection, or to reduce virus shedding in the event of infection.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the typical period is between the receipt of a sample by the veterinary laboratory and the determination of a (a) negative and (b) positive result for the avian influenza virus H5N1. [23941]

Mr. Bradshaw: The typical period between the receipt of a sample by the veterinary laboratory and the determination of a negative result is seven days and a positive result is up to three days, in both cases in respect of avian influenza virus H5N1.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the capacity of competent laboratories to cope with demands that may arise from measures being taken to prevent H5N1 avian influenza. [23942]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) is an Executive agency of Defra. As the European Community and National Reference Laboratory for avian influenza, the VLA is playing a
 
3 Nov 2005 : Column 1271W
 
major role in both the national and international surveillance for the H5N1 virus in wildlife and domestic poultry. The VLA has contingency plans to deal with outbreaks of avian influenza in a variety of different scenarios. These plans include measures to provide the necessary surge capacity" which might be required in the event of a severe outbreak of disease.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many laboratories in England are capable of carrying out the full range of tests needed to identify the H5N1 avian influenza virus. [23943]

Mr. Bradshaw: Only one laboratory in England is authorised to carry out the full range of tests which lead to the official confirmation of the presence of avian influenza H5N1 virus. This is the Veterinary Laboratories Agency at Weybridge, Surrey, which is both the National Reference Laboratory and the EU Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza virus.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the H5N1 isolates recovered from bird samples taken at the quarantine facility in Essex were tested for clade type. [23954]

Mr. Bradshaw: The avian influenza virus H5N1 recovered from the quarantine facility was subjected to analysis of the nucleotide sequencing of the haemagglutinin gene. This allowed the virus to be placed in a clade.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the epidemiological characteristics of different clades of influenza virus H5N1. [23959]

Mr. Bradshaw: Scientists working at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, which acts as the National Reference Laboratory and Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza, have constructed a map which shows the phylogenetic relationship between different clade of avian influenza virus H5N1.

Information has also been received from the Office International des Epizooties (The World Animal Health Organisation) about the nature and key features of the disease in countries where birds or animals have been exposed to the virus.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the distribution of different clades of the avian influenza virus H5N1. [23960]

Mr. Bradshaw: Scientists at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, which acts as the National Reference Laboratory and Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza, have constructed a chart which shows the phylogenetic relationship between the different clades of the avian influenza virus H5N1.

This chart includes the location at which the virus was first isolated.
 
3 Nov 2005 : Column 1272W
 

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reasons underlay her Department's working hypothesis on the origin of the H5N1 virus recovered from bird samples taken at the quarantine facility in Essex. [23976]

Mr. Bradshaw: The isolate of avian influenza H5N1 was from pooled samples taken from two birds which had died at the quarantine facility in Essex. The virus was subject to initial identification and subsequent analysis of its nucleotide sequence of the haemagglutinin gene which showed that it fell within a distinct group of similar viruses isolated in China from ducks and poultry during 2003–05.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many clades have been identified in respect of avian influenza type H5N1 [23981]

Mr. Bradshaw: Between 15 and 20 clades of H5N1 avian influenza virus have been identified since typing work began. The H5N1 viruses which have caused disease in poultry and humans since 2004 lie within a distinct sub-grouping formed by two clades.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the veterinary laboratory agency identifies the clade typing of H5N1 isolates recovered from samples submitted to it for testing for the virus. [23995]

Mr. Bradshaw: It is confirmed that the Veterinary Laboratories Agency carries out—as a matter of standard practice—analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the haemagglutinin gene which allows a judgment to be made about within which clade H5N1 virus isolates may be placed.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the H5N1 avian influenza designation applies to a group of viruses with distinct epidemiological characteristics. [23997]

Mr. Bradshaw: The H5N1 virus is one of the A series of influenza viruses (the other series are B and C). The H5N1 avian influenza virus is categorised as a notifiable avian influenza virus (as are all Al viruses which are H5 or H7). The epidemiological characteristics of any H5 virus depend on to what degree they have become adapted to cause overt disease in the animal which they infect. The most recent outbreaks of H5N1 (particularly in Asia) have been categorised as being caused by a highly pathogenic strain (HPAI) of H5N1, causing high levels of mortality in domestic poultry.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what screening is being undertaken to identify the distribution types and prevalence of (a) avian influenza viruses and (b) their antibodies in commercial poultry flocks. [24007]

Mr. Bradshaw: There is an annual survey which aims to detect the prevalence of infections with avian influenza subtypes H5 and H7 in different species of poultry. Since 2003 this survey has taken place in all EC member states between September and January.
 
3 Nov 2005 : Column 1273W
 

Poultry premises are selected at random and most meet certain eligibility criteria (including a greater risk of exposure to avian influenza viruses).

Samples are taken from six categories of poultry; turkey, domestic fowl, ducks, geese, quail and ratites (ostriches). These blood samples are tested for the presence of antibodies to avian influenza of subtypes H5 and H7.

If antibodies are found and the birds are still alive (some samples are taken at the point of slaughter) further samples are taken and subject to laboratory tests to identify and type any avian influenza viruses.

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to increase the speed of operation of veterinary laboratories in testing samples for avian influenza virus H5N1. [24024]

Mr. Bradshaw: There are a number of distinct steps in the overall process in testing samples with a view to identifying whether avian influenza viruses of any type are present. These include growth on eggs, injection into a group of 4–8 week old chickens, and genetic sequencing techniques. This is a largely linear process, which limits the opportunities for decreasing the overall testing speed. Nevertheless, discussions have been held with the Veterinary Laboratories Agency to investigate possibilities for minimising any significant delays.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government has been able to establish whether the H5N1 strain of bird influenza which killed two parrots in UK quarantine came from Taiwan. [24060]

Mr. Bradshaw: The samples which were obtained from two birds in quarantine from which H5N1 virus was isolated were pooled tissue samples of certain organs taken from the two birds. It is not possible at present to confirm the exact origin of the virus, but clade typing has shown that the virus belongs to a sub-group of virus that caused disease in ducks and geese in China during 2003–05.

---