UK bolsters protection from dangerous animal diseases with £200m funding

The government has announced a £200m investment in the UK’s main research and laboratory testing facility to fight against animal diseases.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency’s laboratories at Weybridge will be upgraded with the funding, helping to protect the country against the increasing threat of animal and plant diseases.

The move will help deliver on the government’s Plan for Change mission to deliver growth by helping to protect profits for farmers and other food producers. The government inherited the laboratories in poor condition, which it said posed a “significant risk to Britain’s farmers and human health”.

The funding will enable the APHA to replace and upgrade the biosecurity facilities, providing increased capability to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks.

This new science hub will provide additional capacity to meet both current and future requirements, including enhancing its ability to handle concurrent major disease outbreaks.

The development is essential in safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities, who face significant impacts in an animal disease outbreak such as movement restrictions and loss of livestock, said the government. APHA also safeguards the export of livestock, meat and meat products, dairy and animal by-products worth £16bn per year to the UK economy.

“Animal disease represents a significant risk to Britain’s farmers, global trade and human health,” said environment secretary Steve Reed. “We inherited laboratories at Weybridge in poor condition, reducing our ability to respond to animal disease outbreaks.

“Recognising the importance of protecting our farming and food sector in order to deliver growth across the UK, we are bolstering our national biosecurity and safeguarding the county from these diseases with a £200m investment into our scientific capabilities.”

Weybridge is the UK’s primary capability for managing the threats posed by the spread of diseases carried by animals, many of which pose a significant threat to public health, the food and farming sector.

The threat from zoonotic diseases is increasing globally, with nearly two-thirds of infectious diseases in humans originating in animals such as avian influenza and bovine tuberculosis, said the government.

“APHA is at the forefront of tackling animal and plant disease outbreaks, with our experts working around the clock to manage threats to the UK’s biosecurity,” said APHA CEO Jenny Stewart. “This funding is hugely welcomed to support crucial upgrades that will allow us to continue delivering the disease surveillance, detection and research work which protects against new and existing threats.

“The work we do is world-leading, and this funding affirms the government’s commitment to protecting animal and plant health and will help us protect the economy from disease risk,” she added.

The funding pledge underlines the government’s commitment to shielding farmers from the devastating impacts of animal disease, it said.