Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, urged the Government to invest more in animal disease prevention after hearing about devastation an outbreak could have, given the current urgent need for redevelopment of the Animal and Plant Health Agency HQ in Weybridge, as detailed in a recent NAO report.
Due to his significant expertise in animal welfare and disease prevention, Dr Hudson, a veterinary surgeon and member of the EFRA Committee, was invited to sit as a guest member of the Public Accounts Committee, which scrutinises how public money is spent, and public services are delivered. The session interrogated DEFRA’s animal health infrastructure and in particular the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) laboratory site at Weybridge.
Animal disease outbreaks can have major impacts on the UK food industry, trade, and public health. These threats are primarily managed at the APHA’s Weybridge site which a recent report by the National Audit Office said, “needs major investment to continue functioning”.
The ageing building lacks laboratory capacity and requires major repair work which negatively impact’s the APHA’s work. An estimated £2.8 billion is needed to transform the site and implement a new Science Capability in Animal Health programme, however as of yet HM Treasury has only formally approved £1.2 billion.
In her opening remarks, Committee Chair Dame Meg Hillier MP, said the centre has “lacked capital investment over many years and it’s now at a critical stage”. Adding that the “repercussions of this not going well are very significant for all of us” in reference to the devastation that followed 2001’s Foot and Mouth Crisis.
During the evidence session Dr Hudson quizzed Ministers and experts about the risks facing the country if the Weybridge site is not adequately financed and whether we could cope with a large outbreak given APHA’s current capacity.
Speaking after the session, Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
“Speaking frankly, the evidence we heard was really alarming. The work the APHA does goes under the radar for people at large until we are faced with a dangerous disease outbreak. The Weybridge site is pivotal in our defence against outbreaks and so when witnesses spoke about feeling unable to properly manage the risks we face, it was very worrying.
“While £2.8 billion is undoubtedly a massive sum, the cost of an animal disease outbreak down the line could be astronomically higher – just look at the effects of COVID on our nation,.
“I am under no illusions about the challenges currently facing the public purse but hearing the evidence given today, I urge the Government to take notice. If they do not, the consequences could be devastating. This is so important for my constituency and other areas where livestock farming is critical to the local economy and at the heart of our rural community.”
“This issue is personal to me as I was deployed on the ground as a Veterinary Surgeon during the culls of the 2001 Foot and Mouth Crisis, bearing witness to scenes I never want to see again. In fact, my decision to become a politician was directly impacted by these experiences.
“There is a perception that DEFRA is outgunned by other departments, but sessions like today’s drive home the need for a strong, fully financed department able to prevent diseases and provide resolute action when disaster strikes.”
The PAC will produce an official report into the redevelopment of DEFRA’s animal health infrastructure in the autumn.
Witnesses: Tamara Finkelstein, Permanent Secretary, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Christine Middlemiss, UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; David Holdsworth, Chief Executive, Animal and Plant Health Agency; Colin Dingwall, Senior Responsible Owner for the SCAH Programme, Animal and Plant Health Agency; Sarah Homer, Programme Sponsor for the SCAH Programme, Animal and Plant Health Agency.
A full video of the session can be found: www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/2b60d9c9-9ae8-4d0e-8aa0-247c7e814156
