UK Inquiry Tracker

Resilience to threats from animal disease

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry

Opened: 6 May 2025 Parliament page

The National Risk Register outlines the most serious risks facing the UK. In 2023, four animal diseases were included, outlining the likelihood and impact of these diseases on the UK. With factors such as climate change and the rise in anti-microbial resistance likely increasing animal disease risks, the threats these … Read more The National Risk Register outlines the most serious risks facing the UK. In 2023, four animal diseases were included, outlining the likelihood and impact of these diseases on the UK. With factors such as climate change and the rise in anti-microbial resistance likely increasing animal disease risks, the threats these diseases pose to the economy and trade, the food chain and England’s farming sector may grow. In 2022 , the Public Accounts Committee warned that the Government was not sufficiently prioritising the “significant threat to UK health, trade, farming and rural communities” posed by animal diseases. The Committee was also concerned that the main animal disease facility, located in Weybridge, had been left to deteriorate to an alarming extent, due to a combination of historic poor management and under-investment. The Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for ensuring the UK’s resilience to animal diseases. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has the lead operational role. A recent investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) examined whether Defra, working with key public and private bodies, was taking effective action to ensure this resilience. The NAO’s investigation will be used to inform the Committee’s work in this area, as they question senior officials from Defra and representatives from other relevant bodies on topics including: Defra’s ability to establish and manage the structures, systems and governance processes needed to ensure England’s resilience to animal diseases; Questioning if enough is being done to understand and protect against the threat of animal diseases in England and; Asking if England is prepared to respond to animal disease outbreaks and if it could effectively recover. This inquiry scrutinises policy as related to England, as responsibility for policy in this area in other UK nations is devolved. If you have evidence on these issues please submit it here by 23:59 on Monday 7 July 2025. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues . Show less

11 Recommendations

21 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

1 Letter

2 Events

Activity timeline 6 events

19 Jan
2026

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifth-second report from Session 2024-26

5 Nov
2025

Report published

52nd Report - Resilience to threats from animal disease

16 Oct
2025

Correspondence

Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to the oral evidence session of 04 S…

4 Sep
2025

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

4 Sep
2025

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Committee event

21 Jul
2025

Formal meeting (private meeting) · The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Committee event

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

4 Sep 2025

View on parliament.uk

David Hill · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Dr Richard Lewis · National Police Chiefs’ Council and Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys Police Emily Miles · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Professor Christine Middlemiss CB · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
52nd Report - Resilience to threats from animal disease	HC 885	5 Nov 2025	32	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

32 results

2 Recommendation Accepted

52nd Report - Resilience to threat…

Produce a veterinary workforce strategy to effectively address APHA's vet vacancies

Not enough is being done to tackle the high level of vet vacancies within APHA, which limits its ability to respond to an outbreak. APHA struggles to recruit and retain sufficient vets. APHA’s vet vacancy rate fluctuates– it was 20% … Read more

Government Response

The government is establishing a government veterinary services working group to create a workforce strategy and will consult on reforms to the Veterinary Surgeon’s Act. It also provided specific milestones for digital transformation, including a customer contact form by spring 2026 and a customer portal by 2026-27.

HM Treasury

Resilience to threats from animal disease

Activity timeline 6 events

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Recommendations & Conclusions

Produce a veterinary workforce strategy to effectively address APHA's vet vacancies

Set out a clear plan and milestones for APHA's updated risk-based surveillance processes

Ensure modernisation of APHA's animal disease systems is a key strategic objective with a plan

Publish a 10-year plan for Weybridge redevelopment, detailing progress, interim risks, and mitigation

Ensure progress and devolved alignment of the multi-species livestock tracing system

Strengthen border controls and public education to combat illegal meat imports into the UK

Develop a long-term strategy for securing adequate animal vaccine supply to the UK

Provide an update on developing a comprehensive long-term strategy for animal diseases

Evidence taken on resilience to threats from animal diseases

Government plans two major exercises to test animal disease outbreak preparedness

APHA veterinary staff vacancy rates remain high despite a slight recent decrease.

Recruitment and retention of government vets significantly challenged by mental health, pay, and conditions.

Outdated Veterinary Surgeons Act requires reform to enable broader professional roles.

Disease outbreaks significantly compromise APHA's routine surveillance activities and performance targets.

APHA's surveillance activities are inefficient and not risk-based, requiring multi-year reform.

Local authority capacity for routine animal disease surveillance has significantly diminished over time.

EU exit reduced timely access to detailed animal disease intelligence for the UK.

APHA's outdated paper-based systems and processes cause significant inefficiency and delays.

APHA's modernisation programme progressing, but full system digitisation will take many years.

Critical National Biosecurity Centre at Weybridge is in poor condition, risking UK disease response.

Aging Weybridge facilities make guaranteeing operations during 10-year redevelopment increasingly difficult

Current UK animal tracing systems are fragmented, old, and fragile

Multi-species livestock tracing system programme experienced significant resets due to technical issues

Fully integrated multi-species livestock tracing system not expected until winter 2027 with uncertain funding

Differing devolved administrations' decisions hinder full integration of UK animal tracing systems

Illegal meat imports pose significant disease threat, increasing fifty-five-fold at Dover Port

Dover Port Health Authority performs proactive illegal meat checks only 20% of the time

Educate travellers on illegal food import risks and implement high fines for breaches

Limited animal vaccine availability is a growing global issue due to production capacity

Veterinary Medicines Directorate published framework to address UK veterinary vaccine availability issues

Bovine TB policy changes create efficacy concerns, leaving farmers vulnerable to worsening reactors.

Department lacks comprehensive long-term strategy integrating biosecurity capability building work.

Government Response AI assessment · 29 of 11 classified

Correspondence 1 letter