Recommendation 4

It is not yet certain that there will be sufficient investment in developing Weybridge’s capacity to ensure the UK’s long-term resilience to animal diseases. It is vital that the UK has the right science facilities to ensure its long-term resilience to animal diseases. The APHA is confident it could respond to a Category 3 animal disease outbreak (the middle category on a scale from one to five) such as the recent Avian Influenza outbreak, but can only do this by pausing some of its important research due to limited laboratory capacity. However, it would struggle with higher category outbreaks, or where outbreaks happened concurrently. The UK’s current laboratory capacity for the highest containment level (ACPD level four) is very limited and cannot undertake testing and research on large animals. HM Treasury has approved funding of £1.2 billion for the Weybridge redevelopment programme including £200 million up to 2024–25. This compares with the Department’s current cost estimate of £2.8 billion. Failure to secure adequate additional funding at the next stage in 2024 would mean decisions needed to be made about the scope of the Programme and the extent of redevelopment at Weybridge. The Department is finding it challenging to quantity and value the benefits of the redevelopment programme such as the economic benefits of science investment. Recommendation: The Department needs to work with HM Treasury to establish a more certain funding position for the Weybridge redevelopment programme. In doing this, the Department will need to improve its understanding of the benefits of the programme to support the investment case. In addition to its Treasury Minute response, the Department should provide the Committee with a further update on the status of Weybridge’s funding shortfall by Summer 2023.