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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the UK’s biosecurity arrangements on farm animal to human disease transmission.

Zoonotic infections threaten both human and animal health. For zoonotic diseases, we have systems in place to detect and manage outbreaks, for both endemic (those that are already found in the UK) and exotic infections, collaborating closely with the public health agencies.

There are several pathogens of animals which can potentially spread to humans as a result of the close interactions between humans and animals on farm, including Salmonella and Mycobacterium bovis, but incidents of this nature are rare. Nevertheless, we take biosecurity and protection of public health very seriously.

Employers are required by law to prevent ill health to workers that may occur as a result of their business activities. Employers should undertake a risk assessment to help decide what actions they need to take to do this. The Health and Safety Executive regulates this.

The Government is committed to the strongest possible standards of protection against animal diseases including zoonotic pathogens. It is investing £1.4 million (including £200 million in this Spending Review period) to secure the long-term future of the Animal and Plant Health Agency Weybridge facility. This substantial investment recognises the essential role of this laboratory and will enable its excellent scientists to continue to protect the country, boosting our resilience and strengthening our understanding of health risks to, and from, animals and plants.