This week, Dr Neil Hudson, Shadow DEFRA Minister, urged the Government to properly fund the UK’s biosecurity infrastructure, in particular the Animal and Plant Health Agency Headquarters in Weybridge, amidst ‘significant threats’ to the UK’s biosecurity, during Questions to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Parliament.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency, which is at the forefront of the UK’s efforts to protect the UK from biosecurity threats, has long been highlighted as in need of a complete redevelopment of its Headquarters in order for it to be fully resilient.
The previous Conservative Government began the process by committing £1.2billion to this rebuild in 2020. The current Government needs to commit a further £1.6billion to deliver the major project in full. However, to date, and as they reiterated during today’s Oral Questions, they have only committed an extra £208million for this vital project.
In the Oral Questions session, Dr Hudson stressed that the international picture for biosecurity, including the emergence of Foot and Mouth outbreaks this year in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia, African Swine Fever advancing across Europe, and Bluetongue and Avian Influenza still a major concern here in the UK. This requires the Government to urgently step up to support this ‘critical national infrastructure’ for UK biosecurity and the agricultural sector.
Dr Hudson has championed this critical biosecurity issue extensively as an MP and Shadow DEFRA Minister in Parliament, raising this on many occasions in Parliament, as well as urging the Chancellor to provide full funding in her Autumn Budget last year in a Daily Express article. He even led a delegation on a visit to the APHA Headquarters as part of the previous Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, on which he sat.
You can see more about Dr Hudson’s previous work in this area at the following links
Dr Hudson’s visit to the APHA Headquarters: https://www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/veterinary-mp-dr-neil-hudson-leads-parliamentary-delegation-uk-biosecurity-hub
Dr Hudson’s article in the Daily Express: https://www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/dr-neil-hudson-writes-daily-express-urging-chancellor-properly-fund-uks-biosecurity-ahead
Dr Hudson’s previous Parliamentary interventions:
After the session, Dr Hudson commented:
“The biosecurity of the United Kingdom is currently at a critical juncture. Threats in mainland Europe from Foot and Mouth Disease, and African Swine Fever, mean the Government cannot wait a moment longer to be serious about our biosecurity, which must begin by a fully funded rebuild of the Animal Plant and Health Agency Headquarters.”
“I am so disappointed that the Government today simply repeated their past announcement of just £208million of new funding for the rebuild. This is just a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed.”
“As a veterinary surgeon, I have seen first-hand the devastating effects of outbreaks of threats like Foot and Mouth on animal health, and human health and welfare including mental health. Those are sights that I quite simply never want to see again but could become a reality once more if the Government do not do what is required.”
“I will not stop pushing for the vital funding the APHA needs in full. Biosecurity is national security, and I will do all I can to ensure the Government recognises this and acts accordingly.”
