Disease outbreak surveillance

#1 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The consequences of another widespread outbreak of a zoonotic disease of similar lethality would be catastrophic. Covid-19 must therefore be treated as a wake-up call. The factors which appear to be increasing the incidence of such diseases must be thoroughly …

Gov response: The Government is firmly committed to preventing, monitoring and tackling future disease threats. In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2020, the Prime Minister affirmed this commitment by announcing a Five …

Under Consideration

#4 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The introduction of rapid-results testing was supposed to be a ‘gamechanger’ but confusion persists over why and how it should be used in different community settings. Around one-third of people who have coronavirus are asymptomatic. There is now a widespread …

Gov response: 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: June 2021 4.2 Regular rapid tests are a vital tool in helping to identify cases of coronavirus that would otherwise not be found. Around …

Under Consideration

#7 —

Foreign Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We are concerned that the UK’s reduced access to European health networks could undermine the UK and European response to future disease outbreaks. We recommend that the Government builds structured permanent cooperation with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and …

Gov response: The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) clearly sets out our commitment to continue working with the EU in tackling the current pandemic and any future threats. Specifically, in relation to the current pandemic, the …

Under Consideration

#5 —

Foreign Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Without a full and transparent investigation into the origins of covid-19, we are at greater risk of a disastrous new outbreak. By impeding efforts to trace the origins of the virus, Beijing is endangering its own population along with the …

Gov response: We have been clear that a transparent, independent and science-led investigation into the origins of COVID-19 must be an important part of the international effort to understand how the pandemic started and how it spread. …

Under Consideration

#173 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: The consequences of this initial failure were profound. Testing not only allowed individuals to be identified who had covid-19—and were infectious—but test results for an invisible virus were the only way to be able to accurately monitor the incidence and …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The government agrees that there is positive learning and engagement to be had with other countries, practitioners, and disciplines, as it has done since the start of the pandemic …

Under Consideration

#162 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: The Government, via the World Health Organisation, should make the case for an international standard of reporting covid-19 deaths and a framework for reporting disease related deaths for future pandemics. 60 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 4 Testing and contact …

Gov response: The government, via the World Health Organisation, should make the case for an international standard of reporting COVID-19 deaths and a framework for reporting disease related deaths for future pandemics. 60 Coronavirus: lessons learned to …

Under Consideration

#137 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: Due to the much higher transmissibility of the Alpha variant, in the absence of a test, trace and isolate system capable of arresting the spread of the virus, a circuit-breaker in September and an earlier, more stringent lockdown, would likely …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The government agrees that there is positive learning and engagement to be had with other countries, practitioners, and disciplines, as it has done since the start of the pandemic …

Under Consideration

#136 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: The second wave of the pandemic was more numerous in terms of hospital admissions and deaths than the first wave. It peaked on 8 January 2021 with 68,053 new infections per day reported in the UK,214 and on 20 January …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The government agrees that there is positive learning and engagement to be had with other countries, practitioners, and disciplines, as it has done since the start of the pandemic …

Under Consideration

#134 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: Following genomic sequencing, PHE found that the Alpha variant first appeared in Kent in September 2020 and rapidly became the dominant variant in Kent, and subsequently, the rest of England.207 The new variant was first brought to the attention of …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The government agrees that there is positive learning and engagement to be had with other countries, practitioners, and disciplines, as it has done since the start of the pandemic …

Under Consideration

#173 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: The consequences of this initial failure were profound. Testing not only allowed individuals to be identified who had covid-19—and were infectious—but test results for an invisible virus were the only way to be able to accurately monitor the incidence and …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The government agrees that there is positive learning and engagement to be had with other countries, practitioners, and disciplines, as it has done since the start of the pandemic …

Under Consideration

#162 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: The Government, via the World Health Organisation, should make the case for an international standard of reporting covid-19 deaths and a framework for reporting disease related deaths for future pandemics. 60 Coronavirus: lessons learned to date 4 Testing and contact …

Gov response: The government, via the World Health Organisation, should make the case for an international standard of reporting COVID-19 deaths and a framework for reporting disease related deaths for future pandemics.

Under Consideration

#137 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: Due to the much higher transmissibility of the Alpha variant, in the absence of a test, trace and isolate system capable of arresting the spread of the virus, a circuit-breaker in September and an earlier, more stringent lockdown, would likely …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The government agrees that there is positive learning and engagement to be had with other countries, practitioners, and disciplines, as it has done since the start of the pandemic …

Under Consideration

#136 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: The second wave of the pandemic was more numerous in terms of hospital admissions and deaths than the first wave. It peaked on 8 January 2021 with 68,053 new infections per day reported in the UK,214 and on 20 January …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The government agrees that there is positive learning and engagement to be had with other countries, practitioners, and disciplines, as it has done since the start of the pandemic …

Under Consideration

#134 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: Following genomic sequencing, PHE found that the Alpha variant first appeared in Kent in September 2020 and rapidly became the dominant variant in Kent, and subsequently, the rest of England.207 The new variant was first brought to the attention of …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. The government agrees that there is positive learning and engagement to be had with other countries, practitioners, and disciplines, as it has done since the start of the pandemic …

Under Consideration

#1 — Provide funding for diagnostic facilities and ensure focus on multiple vaccine technologies for pandemics

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: Should our successor Committee wish to further explore emerging diseases and learnings from covid-19, we recommend: • Funding should be made available for diagnostic facilities to uphold contracts, maintain equipment, and run laboratories to allow for fast and accurate diagnoses …

No Published Response

#14 — Increasing threat from highly resistant Gram-negative infections with limited treatment options

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Dr Partridge told us that there is also an increasing threat in the UK from strains of pathogens which cause Gram-negative infections that are more likely to be resistant and more likely to result in the death of the patient. …

Gov response: 2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Winter 2025 2.2 Progress against NAP human health targets is closely monitored, using data to assess effectiveness, guide future action, and ensure alignment with …

Not Addressed

#13 — Establish a taskforce for illegal imports of animal products, led by the Minister for Biosecurity.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: A taskforce for illegal imports of animal products should be established by November 2025, led by the Minister for Biosecurity, to provide oversight of the strategy’s design and implementation and to drive improvements. The taskforce should at least include the …

Gov response: The Government does not accept this recommendation. As set out above, our intention is to focus short-term efforts on devising a revised strategic approach to the issue of illegal animal product imports via the Short …

Not Accepted

#10 — Defra lacks comprehensive strategy and convincing plan to prevent animal diseases and tackle POAO smuggling.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Committee supports the Government’s commitment to “do whatever it takes to protect British farmers from foot and mouth”. The Committee welcomes efforts made so far, but concludes that there is more that Defra 36 could and should be doing …

Gov response: The Government shares the Committee’s concerns about illegal imports of meat and dairy products into England and the potential risks posed to animal health and food safety. Defra is working closely with the Home Office …

Not Addressed

#9 — Design a strategy to reduce demand for illegally imported products and engage communities.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Defra should work with the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland to design a strategy to reduce demand for illegally imported products. Defra must further consider how to engage with Eastern European communities in Great Britain to raise awareness …

Gov response: The Government notes the Committee’s conclusion that the demand for cheap meat and culturally preferred products is fuelling the influx of illegal imports into Great Britain. Drivers for illegal imports and measures to reduce demand …

Not Addressed

#7 — Consult on and introduce a permanent, straightforward personal import policy for EU products.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Defra must consult on a permanent personal import policy for the EU by April 2026. It should prioritise safeguarding British farms and should be straightforward enough to be understood by travellers and to be enforced. The current temporary ban on …

Gov response: GB Law defines rules under which animal products imported for personal consumption or use are exempt from BCP checks. The Government and the Devolved Governments have deferred the application of these rules for personal imports …

Not Accepted

#6 — Defra's approach to EU personal imports has been lax, reactive, and complicated.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Under successive governments, Defra’s approach to personal imports from the EU since 2021 has been unnecessarily lax, too reactive and overly complicated. Temporary personal import rules create confusion for travellers, uncertainty for farmers, and difficulty for enforcement professionals. (Conclusion, Paragraph …

Gov response: GB Law defines rules under which animal products imported for personal consumption or use are exempt from BCP checks. The Government and the Devolved Governments have deferred the application of these rules for personal imports …

Not Addressed

#5 — Compel travel operators and scale up Defra communications including a digital import tool.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Travel operators should be legally compelled to inform travellers of the rules for personal imports from the EU into GB. Defra must immediately scale up its communications to the public about personal import rules and reach a much broader audience. …

Gov response: GB Law requires international passenger transport operators to draw the attention of their customers to the rules for personal imports contained within the Regulation. For personal imports from outside the EU these rules are well-established …

Partially Accepted

#3 — Commission risk assessment and publish quarterly data on illegal animal product imports.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Defra should commission a risk assessment of the type published by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in 2004 for the import of contaminated meat and meat products into Great Britain and subsequent exposure of livestock. It should model the probable amount …

Gov response: The Government agrees that it is important to assess the risk posed by illegal imports of meat and dairy products, and with the need for greater clarity and transparency of data on seizures of illegally …

Partially Accepted

#2 — Greater understanding and transparency needed on illegal animal product imports.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Consumers deserve confidence that the food they are buying is safe and meets high welfare standards, and British farmers should not be undercut by cheap, poor quality animal products. We need to understand more about the nature and scale of …

Gov response: The Government agrees that it is important to assess the risk posed by illegal imports of meat and dairy products, and with the need for greater clarity and transparency of data on seizures of illegally …

Not Addressed

#1 — Animal diseases pose a national security risk and threaten farmer wellbeing.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Animal disease threats like foot and mouth disease and African swine fever are a national security issue and must be understood as such across Government. Although it is not possible to prevent all contaminated animal products entering Great Britain, the …

Gov response: The Government shares the Committee’s concerns about illegal imports of meat and dairy products into England and the potential risks posed to animal health and food safety. Defra is working closely with the Home Office …

Not Addressed

#10 — Require confirmation of disease commodity code database and a 24/7 IPAFFS update team.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: In response to this Report, the Government should confirm that it has produced a list of pre-identified commodity codes for the top five notifiable diseases and provide a copy of this database containing the commodity codes in question to the …

Gov response: The Government partially accepts this recommendation. The Government concurs with the Committee’s recommendation on the importance of maintaining comprehensive lists of commodity codes for the most concerning notifiable diseases. The commodity (HS / CN) codes …

Partially Accepted

#29 — Public awareness of personal import rules is overestimated and survey methods are inadequate.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Relying on the goodwill of EU travel operators to communicate personal import rules is not an acceptable approach. Defra has acknowledged that its current survey methods make it difficult to assess public awareness of personal import restrictions, and it has …

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation and the importance of travellers understanding the rules that apply to them. GB legislation includes a requirement for international passenger transport operators to draw the attention of their customer to …

No Published Response

#26 — Develop strategy by June 2026 to reduce demand for illegally imported animal products

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Defra must not wait until SPS negotiations are concluded before developing a strategy to reduce demand for illegally imported animal products. We reiterate the recommendation made in our previous report on this topic that the Government, by June 2026, should …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. Defra has established a new Illegal Imports Improvement project which brings together existing work across a range of areas and is developing new workstreams. A cross-government action plan, agreed …

No Published Response

#25 — SPS agreement lacks mechanisms to prevent criminal activity from illegal meat imports

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Both the EU and the UK are exposed to biosecurity risks from illegal meat imports. Although future access to EU data systems and intelligence within a common SPS area could support British border enforcement efforts, there is nothing within an …

Gov response: The government partially accepts this recommendation. Defra has established a new Illegal Imports Improvement project which brings together existing work across a range of areas and is developing new workstreams. A cross-government action plan, agreed …

No Published Response

#24 — Ensure Great Britain maintains robust risk-based controls against serious plant and animal diseases

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government must ensure that Great Britain is able to maintain risk- based controls to protect against serious plant and animal disease threats. This includes the continuation of robust import controls on plants that can host the bacterial disease caused …

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. The UK’s biosecurity and public health is a priority for the government. An SPS agreement will mean the UK is able to work with the EU on threats to the …

No Published Response

#23 — Great Britain must retain ability to apply robust biosecurity measures against European diseases

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Maintaining Great Britain’s biosecurity is vital. Britain’s geography provides natural protection from many plant and animal health threats. Any future SPS agreement will require adjustments to existing border controls, but it remains essential that GB retains the ability to apply …

Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. The UK’s biosecurity and public health is a priority for the government. An SPS agreement will mean the UK is able to work with the EU on threats to the …

No Published Response

#22 — Current UK animal tracing systems are fragmented, old, and fragile

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Livestock movements in England are significant. For example, there are around 20 million movements of sheep to or from different farms, livestock markets, collection centres, and to abattoirs each year. These movements increase the risk of spreading disease. Being able …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2027 6.2 The work to develop a multi-species livestock tracing system is making progress according to the revised timetable. 6.3 From summer 2026, …

Accepted

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

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The National Biosecurity Centre at Weybridge is the UK’s primary science laboratory capability for managing threats from animal diseases. It contains 98% of APHA’s high-containment laboratories. The site is in poor condition, with ageing buildings that need major repair and …

Gov response: 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 18 5.2 The department wrote to the Committee on 18 September 2025 setting out the programme’s strategic plan. The department will provide the Committee with …

Accepted

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

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department explained that following EU exit, the UK lost access to the EU’s Animal Diseases Information System which provided almost real-time intelligence on EU animal diseases. While the UK has access to an international intelligence system provided by the …

Under Consideration

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

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department set out concerns it has about the capacity of local authority trading standards officers to undertake routine surveillance activities. While local authorities have stepped up to provide extra resources during recent outbreaks, capacity to undertake business-as-usual activities such …

Under Consideration

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

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: APHA pointed out that its current surveillance activities are not risk-based or efficient, which results in APHA returning to a location on a regular basis even though it finds no issues. APHA is starting work to move to a more …

Gov response: 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Target implementation date: May 2026 3.2 APHA’s surveillance activities are undertaken in accordance with the following definition - the systematic ongoing collection, collation, and analysis of information …

Under Consideration

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

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Surveillance work, or ‘eyes and ears on the ground’, is vital to help detect new and re-emerging disease threats quickly and stop their spread. The Department’s and APHA’s approach to managing disease outbreaks is through a ‘surge capacity’ resourcing model, …

Gov response: 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Target implementation date: May 2026 3.2 APHA’s surveillance activities are undertaken in accordance with the following definition - the systematic ongoing collection, collation, and analysis of information …

Accepted

#10 — Government plans two major exercises to test animal disease outbreak preparedness

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The government is planning to test its preparedness to respond to outbreaks with two major exercises during 2025. Exercise Pegasus, which is a whole-of-government exercise led by the Department of Health and Social Care alongside the Cabinet Office, will take …

Gov response: 1.8 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: February 2027 1.9 Two exercises to fully evaluate the UK’s preparedness for severe outbreaks were run during 2025 and the department and APHA will …

Accepted

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

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: APHA’s surveillance activities to detect disease outbreaks early are not sufficiently comprehensive or risk-based. Surveillance work, or ‘eyes and ears on the ground’, is vital to help detect new and re-emerging disease threats quickly and stop their spread. But APHA’s …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation definition - the systematic ongoing collection, collation, and analysis of information related to animal health and the timely dissemination of information so that action can be taken. Current …

Accepted

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

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: 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% …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation allowances for vets. These allowances are used by certain departments to support recruitment and retention within the Civil Service, including APHA. The Home Office underwent a regulatory reform …

Accepted

#20 — Accelerate health visitor vaccination pilot programme and report findings within six months.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: The plan for delivering vaccination by health visitors has real potential to help the Government achieve the 95% coverage vaccine target. We recommend the Government explore ways to accelerate the pilot programme and to report back on its findings within …

Response Pending

#19 — Develop new vaccination plan to improve early years uptake, with named ICB leads.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: Despite the measures contained in the Government’s vaccination strategy, vaccination rates are continuing to fall and the strategy is failing to deliver the improved coverage that is so desperately needed. The Government should brand the currently strategy a failure and …

Response Pending

#16 — Declining childhood vaccination levels represent an ongoing public health crisis requiring urgent action.

Health and Social Care Committee

Recommendation: The continuing decline in childhood vaccination levels since 2012 is a national disgrace; children should not be dying of entirely preventable diseases. The continued failure to effectively grapple with this is a significant and ongoing public health crisis and will …

Response Pending

#14 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Government plans to have offered a first vaccine dose to everyone in the top four priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation by 15 February. This includes: all residents in a care home for older adults …

Gov response: Government plans to have offered a first vaccine dose to everyone in the top four priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation by 15 February. This includes: all residents in a …

Not Addressed

#22 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The 2020 Spending Review allocated £15 billion to NHST&T for 2021–22, to be kept under review as the vaccine programme rolled out.77 The government is now accelerating the roll-out of vaccines across the country, but we are yet to see …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: November 2021 6.2 Since its creation in May 2020, NHST&T has set out in periodically updated business plans its strategy for testing and tracing …

Under Consideration

#9 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We found that NHST&T was still struggling to consistently match supply and demand for its test and trace services. In September 2020, NHST&T significantly underestimated the increase in demand for testing, when schools and universities returned.26 Laboratories processing community swab …

Gov response: 2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 2.2 Over the past year, the UK government has built the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities in British history. NHST&T now has the capacity …

Under Consideration

#6 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: As we hope for longer-term and sustained reductions in infection levels, the Department needs to think about the future shape of national test and trace services, and how it will secure lasting benefits from its spending. NHST&T will be part …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: November 2021 6.2 Since its creation in May 2020, NHST&T has set out in periodically updated business plans its strategy for testing and tracing …

Under Consideration

#111 —

Scottish Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Professor Chris Pearce also pointed out however that universities, such as the University of Glasgow, have had to redirect a lot of resources to fight covid-19 and, as a consequence, a lot of non-covid research has been “severely impacted”.248 He …

Not Addressed

#6 —

Foreign Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Taiwan’s impressive response to covid-19 illustrates that its exclusion from WHO forums risks harming global health security, making it harder to exchange information with Taiwan and learn from its experiences. In a deeply interconnected world, where the next pandemic could …

Gov response: The UK supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations where statehood is not a prerequisite and where Taiwan can make a valuable contribution. The FCDO works with the Department for Health and Social Care to …

Under Consideration

#2 —

Foreign Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The pandemic has exposed shortcomings in the multilateral health system. The WHO lacks adequate funds, power and independence. It has done hugely important work in a difficult situation, facing intense pressure from many sides. However, it performed less effectively than …

Gov response: There are always lessons to be learnt in any global health emergency, particularly one as complex as COVID-19. The findings and recommendations of the Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR) and the other …

Under Consideration