Background
Animal diseases are a significant threat to farming and the food chain, to rural communities, to animal keepers and to the economy. The National Risk Register 2023 – which outlines the most serious risks facing the nation – includes four animal diseases to illustrate the impact and likelihood of animal diseases. Our report on The 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease highlighted the costs of the outbreak to the public and private sectors, which equate to £4.6 billion and £7.7 billion respectively in 2020-21 prices.
This study is part of a series examining the nation’s resilience to a range of risks included in the National Risk Register and will build on previous reports on COVID preparedness, resilience to flooding and resilience to extreme weather. In 2022, we also reported on the programme to redevelop the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s Weybridge site, which houses the UK’s primary science capability for managing threats from animal diseases.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is the lead government department with responsibility for resilience to animal diseases and oversight of the wider system. This includes the operational role of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), other parts of government and the private sector.
Scope
This study will examine whether Defra, working with key public and private bodies, is taking effective action to ensure that England is resilient to animal diseases. It will consider the whole system needed to ensure resilience, and will examine whether:
- Defra has put in place effective structures, systems and governance processes to support resilience to animal diseases
- Defra and APHA are taking effective action to prevent animal disease based on a clear understanding of the risks
- Defra, APHA and key public and private bodies are taking appropriate action to prepare for, respond to, and recover from animal disease outbreaks
NAO Team
Director: Rich Sullivan-Jones
Audit Manager: Helen Roberts