Former MP Robert Halfon welcomes news that UKHSA is coming to Harlow

News / Sat 19th Jul 2025 at 09:45am

FORMER Harlow MP Robert Halfon has welcomed the news that the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will be moving to Harlow.

Mr Halfon said:

“I worked very hard for many years as MP to get the initial go-ahead for what was then Public Health England to come to Harlow. Then Chancellor George Osborne came to Harlow and announced the move in 2015.

Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic and the splitting up of PHE to the new UKHSA led to a delay. The last Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, wrote to me last year after a meeting confirming that the final decision would soon be made. This followed a visit to the Harlow site by Health Minister Lord Markham towards the end of 2023.

I am delighted that the current Government has reconfirmed the previous Government’s announcement and that UKHSA is coming to Harlow. I thank Harlow. Council, the Health Secretary, and the MP for their commitment to this vital project.

UKHSA will transform our town into the health science capital of England, create thousands of jobs and apprenticeships and enrich our economy.

“Along with the new hospital, I desperately wanted these two massive rebuilds to happen, and I am very glad that these will now happen.

Below is our film from 2025, when the then chancellor of the exchequer came to Harlow.

5 Comments for Former MP Robert Halfon welcomes news that UKHSA is coming to Harlow:

Tiredoffailedpoliticalnorms

2025-07-19 10:08:48

Delivered is the key issue here Mr Halfon and Mr Vince seems to have succeeded where you consistently failed. Massive respect to Mr Vince for achieving this! But the place is not built yet, and this is the new delivery milestone against which the people of Harlow will be measuring.

derek

2025-07-19 10:49:09

I remember you - You were the old MP, who'd always give you full backing to that weeks PM and would allow yourself to be lobby fodder - Much like the current MP I guess, so nothing has changed there - To be fair to you, that was your estate photo board that they were standing in front of in the releases. You got that far at least. So they've renewed the photo board and cut back the weeds - Let's see if the new MP gets any further than you did - I have a feeling he might.

stephen archer

2025-07-19 23:02:58

So finally Robert, you have to agree Labour have delivered on this.

Simon

2025-07-20 09:05:45

Used to think Robert was good until I saw how he sucked up to Boris. When Johnson came back he posted an image of a lion and some sycophantic rubbish. Sad.

Stephen Archer

2025-07-20 17:42:53

"Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic and the splitting up of PHE to the new UKHSA led to a delay." But before COVID-19 Robert, there was a five year delay before the delay. Why? But let's not be churlish. I'm most pleased Labour delivered. Sure you are too.