New FMD lab must not be at expense of science

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New FMD lab must not be at expense of science

Responding to the reports into the recent Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak linked to the Pirbright site in Surrey, the scientists’ union Prospect warned that the likely cause of the outbreak highlights the consequences of years of underfunding at the laboratory.



Welcoming Professor Spratt’s recommendations that investment in new facilities proceed as a matter of urgency, the union stressed that this must not be at the expense of funding for the research undertaken by the Institute for Animal Health.

Prospect Head of Research, Sue Ferns, said: "The union has questioned for some time why it has taken five years to get the investment in the new joint DEFRA/BBSRC research facility. This is yet another example of the lack of a clear overview of the UK’s national science capacity, which means funding offered by one hand is often withdrawn by the other.

"If the UK is to maintain its status as a world-class science base then sufficient funding is needed to maintain both staff and facilities. IAH Pirbright is only one of many key areas of research and expertise at risk because of DEFRA funding cuts.

"If the report’s recommendations provide any impetus to secure the long overdue facilities at Pirbright, that is one welcome outcome from this whole sorry tale. But these improvements to facilities cannot be achieved at the expense of IAH’s research. Extra investment is vital in its own right."

Five years ago, while decisions were still awaited following the 2002 Follett review and BBSRC’s own review of the Institute for Animal Health, cuts in DEFRA funding precipitated a major restructuring exercise at IAH and the loss of around one quarter of staff.

While the union understands the need for the HSE and Spratt reviews to report at short notice there is clearly further work to be done arising from the findings. As a key stakeholder, Prospect will want to be fully involved to ensure the views of our members are properly listened to.