Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is he taking to support the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is a critical delivery partner for the UK, Welsh, and Scottish Governments, helping to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment, and the economy.

APHA’s achievements and financial position for 2022/23 are set out in its latest Annual Report and Accounts, published in July 2023. Recognising the impact of persistent incursions of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 into the UK over the last two years, additional funding has been made available this year to APHA to ensure it has the resources needed to meet the increased demands of HPAI without affecting other vital biosecurity work. The Government continues to invest substantially, including £200m across the current spending review, in the Science Capability in Animal Health (SCAH) Programme that oversees major re-development of APHA’s Weybridge labs, safeguarding its long-term future as a centre for scientific excellence in tackling high-risk diseases.