Today in Parliament, Dr Neil Hudson, Shadow DEFRA Minister, again urged the Government to act now to prevent looming crises in UK biosecurity, by fully funding critical infrastructure, a redevelopment of the Animal and Plant Health Agency Headquarters in Weybridge, and stepping up illegal meat import inspections at the border, during questions to DEFRA in Parliament.
Dr Hudson was acting in response to alarming findings from the National Audit Office’s ‘Resilience to animal disease outbreaks’ Report released this month. That report outlined that at present the Government nor the Animal and Plant Health Agency would be able to respond to serious disease outbreaks, or where outbreaks of more than one disease occur at the same time.
Right now, animal disease outbreaks have been identified as present in the UK, including Avian Influenza and Bluetongue Virus, while the European continent has seen outbreaks of Foot and Mouth disease and African Swine Fever, demonstrating an evident need for the UK to have a fully functional preparedness and response strategy to the disease threats the UK faces and could face in the future.
Should new outbreaks emerge, outbreaks could have huge ramifications to animal health and welfare, the wellbeing and profitability of their farms, as well as human health in cases where diseases are zoonotic.
The critical need for an urgent rebuild of the APHA has been raised repeatedly by Dr Hudson in Parliament, this being the 17th occasion in this current Parliament he has done so both orally and in writing. £1.2billion had been provided for this vital rebuild by the previous Conservative Government, but this Labour Government need to provide an additional £1.4billion and have only so far confirmed an additional £208million. The Spending Review this month did not mention this project in the Chancellor’s speech nor official documents.
Concerns about the UK’s capability to detect illegal meat imports were also recorded in that NAO report, something Dr Hudson has likewise sounded the alarm on with the Government, both through written questions to the Department and directly in Parliament. The Government’s concerning approach to implementing checks on meat imports leaves the UK at direct risk of importing products that could bring animal diseases into the UK.
Following arrangements after leaving the EU, the previous Government introduced the Border Target Operating Model to respond to biosecurity requirements surrounding imports, but the new Government’s handling of implementing the system has been concerning in response to the current picture. In data released by Government to Dr Hudson in answer to parliamentary questions, worryingly, illegal meat seized so far this year up to April, 72,872 kilogrammes worth, close to the total amount seized in the whole of 2024 (92,382kg) , only further emphasising the threat of new disease outbreaks from the continent.
Dr Hudson hence outlined the urgent need for the Government to take action to improve implementation of border checks.
Dr Hudson’s previous parliamentary experience on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee saw him look into these issues first hand, visiting both the APHA Headquarters in Weybridge and the Port of Dover to examine on the ground the urgent need for action in these areas to protect our biosecurity.
Following his interventions, Dr Hudson commented:
“As if the Government did not need any more reminding of the state of the UK’s biosecurity, the NAO report sheds new light on the startling situation.”
“17 times in this current Parliament I have now raised the need for the Government to wake up on biosecurity and implement the fully funded rebuild of the Animal Plant and Health Agency Headquarters in Weybridge, as well as stepping up our checks on meat imports at the border on many occasions.”
“The Government’s response of merely repeating partial funding and denying the urgent need for action is quite simply alarming. Foot and Mouth disease cost the UK economy £13.8billion in 2023-24 prices during the 2001 outbreak. As a veterinary surgeon during that outbreak, I know first-hand that it is the costs you don’t see on a spreadsheet that do the most damage, from the harms to animal and human health and welfare, to the damage on farmers livelihoods and their mental health as a result.”
“I am desperate to prevent these sights being seen again, and I will not stop banging the drum on this until the Government step up to the plate.”
You can see more about Dr Hudson’s previous work on biosecurity at the following links:
Dr Hudson’s response to the National Audit Office’s recent report: https://www.neilhudson.org.uk/news/shadow-defra-minister-dr-neil-hudson-sounds-alarm-government-asleep-job-biosecurity
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:
