Committees

Animal and plant health

Inquiry

Animal and plant diseases and pests have far-reaching impacts on the environment, agricultural and horticultural sectors, trade, human health, animal welfare, and the food that we eat.

The UK’s animal and plant biosecurity capability is in a period of significant change: the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s critical infrastructure – notably its Weybridge headquarters – is partway through a muti-billion pound transformation project, a new regime of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on goods from the EU is being implemented, and the UK is adapting to changed access to surveillance, people and skills. In this context, the Government has made ambitious animal welfare commitments and is seeking an SPS or veterinary agreement with the EU.

This inquiry will provide consistent scrutiny of ongoing and emerging issues and opportunities relating to animal and plant health. The Committee will call for evidence on a regular basis and produce iterative and focused reports throughout the inquiry.

Topics for scrutiny may include, but are not limited to:

  • animal welfare;
  • biosecurity at the border;
  • implementation of the Border Target Operating Model;
  • One Health approach to biosecurity;
  • potential SPS agreement with the EU;
  • skills and workforce planning in relevant professions (such as the veterinary sector);
  • the impact of pests, diseases and biosecurity measures on farmers and the food supply chain;
  • the resourcing and work of the Animal and Plant Health Agency;
  • threats to UK forestry, including pests and diseases, and the risk of ecosystem collapse;
  • threat-specific scrutiny, such as in response to an outbreak or an ongoing priority such as tackling antimicrobial resistance;
  • UK Biological Security Strategy.

Read the ‘biosecurity at the border’ call for evidence here.

 

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Wednesday 29 January 2025.

Upcoming events

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No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Tuesday 6 May 2025
2:00pm Private
2:30pm Public
Animal and plant health - Oral evidence 6 May 2025
2:30pm
  • The Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Spencer Draper (Head of Borders Delivery, Northern Ireland, Biosecurity and Trade Programme at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Gareth Baynham-Hughes (Director of Animal Plant Health and Welfare at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 25 March 2025
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
Animal and plant health - Oral evidence 25 March 2025
10:00am
  • Sally Cullimore (Technical Policy Manager at Horticultural Trades Association (HTA))
  • Nichola Mallon (Head of Trade and Devolved Policy at Logistics UK)
  • Katrina Walsh (Strategy Director at International Meat Trade Association)
  • Nigel Jenney (Chief Executive at Fresh Produce Consortium)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 4 March 2025
10:00am Public
Animal and plant health - Oral evidence 4 March 2025
10:00am
  • Richard Griffiths (Chief Executive at British Poultry Council)
  • Lizzie Wilson (Chief Executive Officer at National Pig Association)
  • Dr Jude McCann (Chief Executive Officer at Farming Community Network)
  • Sarah Tomlinson (lead veterinary science expert, AHDB and Technical Director at TB Advisory Service)
11:00am
  • Dr Christine Middlemiss (Chief Veterinary Officer at Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs)
  • Dr Jenny Stewart (Interim Chief Executive at Animal and Plant Health Agency)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 4 February 2025
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
Animal and plant health - Oral evidence 4 February 2025
10:00am
  • Helen Buckingham (Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and regulatory consultant at OneResolution)
  • Lucy Manzano (Head of Port Health and Public Protection at Dover Port Health Authority)
  • David Smith (South East Regional Director at Border Force)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster

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  • Email: efracom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: General enquiries: 0207 219 1119 | Press enquiries: 020 7219 3138
  • Address: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA