UK Microbial Forensics Consortium
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 27 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, who is responsible for the creation of a UK-wide Microbial Forensics Consortium.
Answered by Luke Pollard
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is responsible for the creation of a UK-wide Microbial Forensics Consortium (UKMFC), as outlined in the Biological Security Strategy published on 12 June 2023. Outcome 11 of this strategy ('A strengthened national microbial forensics capability') was allocated to MOD, with delivery through the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (Dstl). The UKMFC was launched in Autumn 2024 and is OneHealth in approach comprising frontline biosurveillance laboratories from the clinical, veterinary, plant, food and aquaculture sectors across all four nations of the UK.
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