APHA laboratories to gain £200m investment
APHA, an executive agency of Defra, works to protect the UK's livestock industry.
The UK’s main research and laboratory testing facility is to benefit from a £200 million investment to help maintain its scientific and veterinary capabilities.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) laboratories in Weybridge will receive the investment as part of the government’s Plan for Change mission, which seeks to help protect the profits of farmers and other food producers.
From this investment, APHA plans to replace and upgrade its biosecurity facilities. This will increase the laboratory’s ability to detect and prevent disease outbreaks.
The boost will also enable the department to introduce a new science hub. The facility will have better capacity to meet long-term requirements and will work to improve its abilities to handle major disease outbreaks.
This includes zoonotic diseases, which can also pose a threat to human health. Nearly two-thirds of infectious diseases affecting humans originate from animals, including avian influenza and bovine tuberculosis.
APHA works to safeguard the UK’s livestock industry through its research into dangerous animal and plant diseases. The export of livestock and animal products is worth £16bn to the UK economy.
The laboratories in Weybridge are APHA’s primary facilities for tackling the spread of infectious diseases. APHA describes the facility as a critical national infrastructure and a global centre of expertise on animal diseases.
The department’s work is currently seeing it tackle the threats of avian influenza and bluetongue virus, which are spreading across the country. Biosecurity risks are expected to increase in the coming years as the changing climate increases pathways to disease spread.
Steve Reed, environment secretary, said: “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 £200 million investment into our scientific capabilities.”
Jenny Stewart, APHA chief executive, said: “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.”
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