The Rt Hon George Eustice MP announced a £200 million investment to fight zoonotic diseases.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) within our constituency received a huge boost with the allocation of £200 million to strengthen the UK’s efforts to combat zoonotic diseases, including avian flu and bovine tuberculosis.
This will enhance the UK’s already world-leading scientific and veterinary capability. We are extremely lucky that this is situated in our constituency and the APHA Lab is renowned for its specialist research and laboratory facilities. Its animal health, science and disease control capabilities are on the front line in tackling and eradicating high-risk animal diseases.
The pandemic has reiterated the importance of boosting our resilience to help prevent future pandemics. New equipment and specialist testing facilities will mean APHA scientists can identity pathogens for existing and emerging threats posed by diseases spread by animals, and maintain our biosecurity standards against Bovine TB, Salmonella and avian flu.
This will support the rapid response to try and limit its spread and ensure that the poultry industry is able to continue to operate. Tackling the largest outbreak of avian flu on record and supporting the rapid response to try to limit its spread is key to ensure that the poultry industry can continue to operate.
Research at the APHA has paved the way for field trails of a TB cattle vaccine which if successful will enable farmers to vaccinate their animals against this deadly disease.
Dr Ben Spencer MP said: ‘This is incredible news, not only for Runnymede and Weybridge, but nationally! The investment will allow the remarkable work done by the APHA already to expand further with greater capacity to track diseases of concern across the globe and conduct the best of the best research in state-of-the-art laboratories. This means that local scientists will be able to quickly sample and analyse possible threats allowing action to be taken at pace.
This announcement will support future jobs and prosperity as well as enhancing the UK’s biosecurity capability and enable our excellent scientists to continue at the forefront of research and policy on our doorstep.’
The Rt Hon George Eustice MP said ‘The UK is a world leader when it comes to science and biosecurity. The work done at the APHA Headquarters is second to none, and this investment will build on a long-term programme to future-proof our animal health capabilities, and ensure that we are at the forefront of defence against future pandemics.’
This investment builds on a long-term programme to future proof our animal health capabilities and ensure that we are at head of defence against future pandemics. As a result of this funding, work is underway to transform the campus paving the way for a future science hub that will support our international reputation.
