Recommendation 18

The Department and the APHA set out how the Weybridge redevelopment programme will provide the flexible laboratory facilities to improve the UK’s resilience to animal diseases in the long-term.35 However, it also recognised that it needs to mitigate the risks of a major breakdown at the Weybridge site until the redevelopment is completed over the next 15 years. The Department set out a number of actions it is taking. It has put in place a critical works ‘patch and repair’ programme to increase resilience at the site including the incinerator development works. This critical works programme has a planned investment of £250 million between 2015 and 2025. The Department is also increasing the number of staff to manage the site including bringing in more specialist engineering expertise. The Department said it currently has 23 staff managing the site and is looking to increase that to 46 over the next year. It also said that it is replacing the current facilities management contract with a new contract in 2024 which will properly take account of the specific requirements of the Weybridge site.36 34 Qq 8, 19, 22 35 Qq 3–5 36 Qq 3–4, 15, 18, 58 14 Redevelopment of Defra’s animal health infrastructure 2 Investing in the Weybridge site Existing laboratory capacity at the Weybridge site