Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to the support the delivery of public health solutions at the new public health science campus at Harlow.

The Government confirmed in 2015 its intention to proceed with development of the planned Public Health England science campus and headquarters in Harlow. This allowed the purchase of the site and considerable planning, design development and early enabling works to take place. Most recently, the 2020 Spending Review provided funding for the 2020/2021 financial year in excess of £120 million. Major construction could begin within a few months.

Multi-year approval, and commitment to the delivery of the programme in full, will be considered in the light of the design work for the National Institute for Health Protection and the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.