Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 3
25th Report - DHSC Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24
Published 14 May 2025
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee DHSC Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
There is little to show for the £400 million spent so far on the development of Harlow Health Security Campus, with no decision yet on the future of the site. This is an example of a poorly overseen project to replace the UK’s critical public health infrastructure. UKHSA’s high containment laboratories are central to protecting the population against potentially highly infectious diseases. The current facilities at Porton Down and Colindale are nearing the end of their life. The programme to build new facilities at Harlow has been underway for over a decade, and the cost of the current plan has risen from the initial estimate of £530 million to an eye–watering projected £3.2 billion. UKHSA has developed an 5 alternative proposal involving modernising the existing facilities at Porton Down and Colindale. The decision between these two options is complex. The final decision is currently being made by Ministers and is expected in the second part of the spending review. But this is still some 3 years after the programme was suspended. As well as having cost implications, these delays could risk leaving the nation without adequate protection against emerging new diseases. UKHSA estimates its current facilities could continue to operate for 15 years, and in 2024 the NAO reported that the earliest date for having a fully operational new or upgraded site is 2036, 11 years from now. Time is running out for UKHSA to decide on the best course of action in order to avoid exposing the public to any unnecessary risk. recommendation a. In line with the recommendations this Committee made in May 2024, UKHSA should urgently outline how it will ensure that the UK continues to have the infrastructure it needs to protect public health, and confirm its plans for its high containment laboratories, including setting out full costs and timeline for completion. In light of spending review, and given UKHSA’s poor record of delivering new facilities, it should set out as soon as possible, exa
From: Public Accounts Committee, 25th Report - DHSC Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 (HC 639), 14 May 2025
Government response
Latest Treasury Minutes progress report to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty-fifth Report of Session 2024-26
The government responded to the whole report on 4 June 2026 (deadline 14 July 2025).
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenth-fifth 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 states that it "agrees" with each of the Committee's recommendations and gives target implementation dates ranging from "Recommendation implemented" to "to be advised".
- On the transfer of NHS England's functions, it agrees to share its plan and timetable, and says information on the size of resource functions "is likely to be confirmed in Autumn 2025".
- On the Annual Report and Accounts, it "plans to cover" the areas listed in the 2024-25 report and will update the Committee in September 2025.
- On publishing accounts before summer recess, it will write in September 2025 with detail on its multi-year plan, saying audit firms have indicated they lack capacity for pre-recess laying "in the shorter-term".
- On clinical negligence costs, it says ministers "will examine" the drivers of costs and "the potential merits of reform options", with the implementation date "to be advised".