Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 23, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe UK commits £1 billion to a biosecurity centre in Surrey, aiming to prevent pandemics by detecting high-risk diseases. Operational by 2033/34.
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain will invest 1 billion pounds ($1.35 billion) to establish a biosecurity centre, boosting its efforts to prevent a future pandemic by detecting high-risk animal diseases and other biological threats.
The government said on Tuesday that the National Biosecurity Centre is expected to begin full operation in 2033/34 at a site in Surrey, southwest of London, which is already home to high-containment animal health laboratories.
The centre is part of a broader National Security Strategy to be published later on Tuesday.
"Farmers and food producers will now be better protected from diseases, our food security strengthened, and public health better safeguarded against future pandemics," British Environment Secretary Steve Reed said in a statement.
The new centre will form part of a network of laboratories that will respond to biological security risks and threats, including from hostile nations, the government said.
($1 = 0.7426 pounds)
(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by William James)
The biosecurity centre aims to detect high-risk animal diseases and prevent future pandemics, thereby strengthening food security and public health.
The National Biosecurity Centre is expected to begin full operation in 2033/34.
The biosecurity centre will be located in Surrey, southwest of London, at a site already home to high-containment laboratories.
The centre is part of a broader National Security Strategy that the government plans to publish.
Farmers and food producers will be better protected from diseases, which will strengthen food security and safeguard public health against future pandemics.
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