Warwick's MP has said he is relieved that 'the serious issues' surrounding the Covid-19 testing lab in Leamington Spa have come to light.

An investigation by The Independent has claimed that hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' cash has been wasted on The Rosalind Franklin Laboratory.

The probe was assisted by Warwick and Leamington MP Matt Western who supplied contacts, information and asked Parliamentary questions.

The Rosalind Franklin Laboratory – the centrepiece of the government's Test and Trace network – opened six months late in July 2021.

The Juno Drive laboratory has never reached more than 20 per cent per of its original intended testing capacity, with doubts remaining over whether it will ever reach full working order.

The newspaper makes multiple serious allegations including suggestions of 'spiralling costs'.

Sources cited in the investigation claim the project could be hundreds of millions of pounds over budget with an initial £588million allocated to it. Sources claim that, by February of this year, more than £1.1billion had been spent on the laboratory.

Whilst other sources in the article allege that the site is now 'under review' and efforts were made to 'pull the plug' on the project.

Mr Western: 'It is such a relief the serious issues with the laboratory have finally come to the surface'

Mr Western has long been investigating the laboratory after he accused the government of ignoring his concerns about its opening date, the costs to the taxpayer and its association with multiple private companies.

He was told last summer that four laboratory lines of the 12 intended to become operational were to be scrapped.

The government had boasted the laboratory would be able to process 300,000 tests per day – which was then revised down to 100,000.

But the laboratory is believed to be processing no more than 30,000 per day, insiders suggested.

Mr Western said: "It is such a relief the serious issues with the laboratory have finally come to the surface.

"For months my team and I have been investigating the concerns of the workforce and the community.

"We were made aware of government-awarded contracts overrunning, staff being unable to start and widespread operational challenges - resulting in severe delays to the project.

"Of course, I want the laboratory to be an asset for the Warwick and Leamington community, for it to provide valuable jobs and for the persisting challenges to be overcome.

"But this involves openness, transparency, and willingness to engage with the public, the media and elected officials.

"Unfortunately, senior figures and the DHSC have behaved in the opposite fashion - while staff appear coerced into silence.

"The contamination, and false positives that were processed, are extremely serious allegations - and must be investigated.

"And the extent of the waste of taxpayers' money - unfortunately characteristic of this government - must be confirmed by the Department for Health.

"I call on all parties to work together to salvage a scheme that, eventually, could put Leamington on the map - for the right reasons."

Internal emails Mr Western's office provided to The Independent last summer revealed 31 lab support technicians, days before they were due to start work, were informed they would be paid for the foreseeable future to remain at home due to delays – which likely cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds.

A spokesperson for the UK Health Security Agency said: "We take any complaints and allegations of wrongdoing very seriously, and will not hesitate to investigate and take action where appropriate.

"The Rosalind Franklin lab continues to play a critical role in the pandemic response, having already processed millions of tests to help stop the spread of COVID. Only four per cent of tests have been diverted to other laboratories in the network, which is a safe and routine part of operations.

"There are strict protocols in place to protect all our staff and ensure they have the right training, with rigorous quality assurance in place to maintain the safety and accuracy of our equipment.

"As the public would expect, budgets and spending are tracked through a robust governance process and are reviewed regularly, to ensure the best possible value for the taxpayer."

(Matt Western image via parliament.uk)