Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
9
Conclusion
Twenty-Fourth Report - Redevelopment of…
Not Addressed
The APHA’s Weybridge site is the UK’s primary science capability for managing threats from animal diseases. It houses 98% of the APHA’s high containment laboratories. It is the APHA’s main site for running long-term animal health studies and the only facility equipped to deal with most zoonotic diseases.17 The Chief …
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The APHA’s Weybridge site is the UK’s primary science capability for managing threats from animal diseases. It houses 98% of the APHA’s high containment laboratories. It is the APHA’s main site for running long-term animal health studies and the only facility equipped to deal with most zoonotic diseases.17 The Chief Veterinary Officer explained that the site is not only important for responding to animal disease outbreaks, but also 8 Q 2 9 National Audit Office, COVID-19 cost tracker, June 2022. 10 Qq 2, 26 11 Qq 66–67 12 HM Government, National Risk Register – 2020 edition, 2020 13 Qq 25–26, 64–65; C&AG’s Report, paragraph 1.2 14 Qq 63, 66–67 15 Q 66–67 16 Qq 4, 10–11 17 C&AG’s Report, para 1.4 Redevelopment of Defra’s animal health infrastructure 11 for the ongoing surveillance to detect animal diseases. She highlighted the increasing requirement to provide confirmation to trading partners that animal and animal product exports have been tested to international standards.18
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The government response only includes a restatement of the committee's conclusion and doesn't provide any additional information.
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HM Treasury
22
Conclusion
Twenty-Fourth Report - Redevelopment of…
The Chief Veterinary Officer and the APHA confirmed that the Weybridge site does not have ACDP (Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens) level four high containment laboratory facilities. This is the highest containment level relating to diseases where there is a risk to human health.41 The Chief Veterinary Officer and the …
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The Chief Veterinary Officer and the APHA confirmed that the Weybridge site does not have ACDP (Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens) level four high containment laboratory facilities. This is the highest containment level relating to diseases where there is a risk to human health.41 The Chief Veterinary Officer and the APHA explained that the UK current only has very limited ACDP level four capacity at Porton Down. Due to its size, Porton Down cannot undertake testing and research on large animals. The Chief Veterinary Officer cited the zoonotic disease Hendra virus in Australia that spreads from fruit bats to horses and potentially to humans. The UK does not currently have facilities that would allow the safe testing and research into such diseases.42 Funding the redevelopment programme
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HM Treasury
27
Conclusion
Twenty-Fourth Report - Redevelopment of…
Not Addressed
The Department explained that in developing the Programme Business Case for the Weybridge redevelopment it did significant additional work on its cost estimate. This was based on a more developed design for the Weybridge redevelopment than the Outline Business Case and incorporated additional elements such as transformation and more allowance …
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The Department explained that in developing the Programme Business Case for the Weybridge redevelopment it did significant additional work on its cost estimate. This was based on a more developed design for the Weybridge redevelopment than the Outline Business Case and incorporated additional elements such as transformation and more allowance for risk50 This increased its cost estimate from £1.2 billion in its Outline Business Case (March 2020) to £2.8 billion in the Programme Business Case (November 2021).51 43 Qq 4, 11, 37, 76; C&AG’s Report, paragraph 2.2 44 Q 30; C&AG’s Report, paragraph 15, Figure 9 45 Qq 47–48; C&AG’s Report, paragraph 20 46 Qq 48–50, 57 47 Qq 45, 52–56 48 Q 58 49 Qq 44–45 50 Qq 35, 37 51 C&AG’s report, paragraph 15 16 Redevelopment of Defra’s animal health infrastructure
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Government response AI summary
The government response only includes a restatement of the committee's conclusion and doesn't provide any additional information.
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HM Treasury
31
Conclusion
Twenty-Fourth Report - Redevelopment of…
Not Addressed
The National Audit Office found that the Department has put in place many of the elements for managing the Weybridge redevelopment programme well.57 The National Audit Office also highlighted that the redevelopment programme is high risk due to a range of factors including: the specialist nature of the construction, involving …
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The National Audit Office found that the Department has put in place many of the elements for managing the Weybridge redevelopment programme well.57 The National Audit Office also highlighted that the redevelopment programme is high risk due to a range of factors including: the specialist nature of the construction, involving high containment engineering; the poor documentation of the site; the complexity of managing a major construction programme while maintaining the business-as-usual operations of the APHA; and the significant potential impact of APHA’s operations being disrupted.58 Staffing
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Government response AI summary
The government response only includes a restatement of the committee's conclusion and doesn't provide any additional information.
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HM Treasury