Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 38
30th Report - Antimicrobial resistance: addressing the risks
Published 13 Jun 2025
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Antimicrobial resistance: addressing the risks All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Wastewater is water that has been affected by domestic, commercial or industrial activities, as well as agricultural run-off and hospital waste.96 Sewage is wastewater that contains human waste. Sewage discharges are the release of raw, untreated sewage into waterways such as rivers.97 Metals, biocides, pesticides, and antimicrobial residues can build up and have a significant impact on the environment.98 There are increased levels of AMR pathogens in waterways that have been contaminated with wastewater or sewage.99 92 C&AG’s Report, para 2.26 93 Q 17, C&AG’s Report, paras 13, 2.27 94 Qq 17, 90; C&AG’s Report, paras 2.28, 2.29 95 Q 90; C&AG’s Report, para 2.29 96 AR0003, AR0015 97 House of Commons Library, Sewage Discharges, 24 May 2024 98 C&AG’s Report, para 3.16 99 Q 25; National Engineering Policy Centre, Testing the waters: reducing health risks from water pollution, May 2024 20
From: Public Accounts Committee, 30th Report - Antimicrobial resistance: addressing the risks (HC 646), 13 June 2025
Government response
Latest Treasury Minutes progress report to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirtieth Report of Session 2024-26
The government responded to the whole report on 4 June 2026 (deadline 13 August 2025).
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirtieth report from Session 2024-26
Published 18 September 2025.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it agrees with the Committee's recommendations on antimicrobial resistance, and sets out target implementation dates ranging from Winter 2025 to Autumn 2027.
- On progress against targets, the government agrees, and says targets are subject to annual review over the summer, "with the potential to revise, if deemed appropriate and agreed by the UK AMR Strategy Board".
- On transparency, it agrees and says the government "will publish the first of these reports by the autumn", describing activity during the first year of the 2024-2029 National Action Plan.
- On diagnostics, it agrees (target date Spring 2027) and says engagement will inform an "infection diagnostics framework" by 2027, with point-of-care test pilots reporting in 2026-2027.
- On wastewater, it agrees (target date Autumn 2027); the department "will provide a full response via a White Paper in Autumn 2025" and "will commission further research" on evidence gaps "by Summer 2026".