Catalogue description Records of the Central Veterinary Laboratory and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and Successors

The Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) was originally established in 1894 to deal with an epidemic of swine fever. Its remit quickly expanded to cover a wide range of veterinary research and laboratory work, and the Laboratory moved to purpose built accommodation in Weybridge, Surrey in 1917.

In 1922 Veterinary Investigation Centres attached to agricultural colleges were first established, and these were the forerunners of regional government veterinary laboratories, specialising in field veterinary work. They and the Central Veterinary Laboratory operated under agriculture ministry control until 1990 when the Central Veterinary Laboratory was established as an executive agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF). In 1995 the Laboratory merged with the network of Veterinary Investigation Centres to form the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA).

On 29 June 2010, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced that the VLA would be merged with the Animal Health agency, which was completed on 1 April 2011, to form the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA).

On 1 October 2014 the AHVLA was expanded by adding parts of the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) and became the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).