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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding a redevelopment of the Animal Plant and Health Agency Headquarters in Weybridge.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) provides high-quality surveillance, preparedness, detection and response to biosecurity threats from animal diseases - both those that might affect our ability to trade and those which pose a threat to animal and human health. To keep APHA’s Weybridge facility fit for purpose, support a major programme of essential maintenance, and secure the long-term future of critical capability, Defra established the Science Capability in Animal Health (SCAH) programme. This is backed by almost £400 million of funding in the current Spending Review period, including £200 million investment for SCAH and £197 million for critical works on site. The work which has commenced to safeguard and enhance the Weybridge site will enable its excellent scientists to continue at the forefront of science which protects the country, boosting our resilience against animal diseases.