Overview

• The UK Government has committed £1 billion as part of a new national security strategy to establish a high-containment facility at Weybridge, Surrey.
• The National Audit Office previously warned that crumbling Weybridge labs were at very high risk of failure following years of underinvestment.
• The new centre will integrate with existing sites such as Porton Down to enhance surveillance, detection and control of high-risk pathogens including foot-and-mouth, bird flu and African swine fever.
• Interim laboratories are scheduled to open in 2027 and 2028, with the full national biosecurity centre due to be operational by 2033–34.
• Environment Secretary Steve Reed hailed the funding as a record investment in national security and public health, while APHA’s Jenny Stewart called it a vital milestone for modern research infrastructure.