Correction to Written Parliamentary Questions
(Limited Text - Ministerial Extracts only)
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The Minister for Health and Secondary Care (Will Quince)
Between May and June 2022, 13 parliamentary questions (PQs) were answered regarding the UK Health Security Agency testing covid-19 variants for a pre-exposure prophylaxis antibody therapy (tixagevimab and cilgavimab), known by the brand name Evusheld. The PQs are: PQ3627; PQ2654; HL215; HL219; PQ1507; PQ3710; PQ11547; PQ14599; HL157; PQ17128; PQ15321; HL653; and PQ691. Run Number Test Week Data Analysed Variant/Comments CVAOOO56 25 April 2022 3 May 2022 Omicron BA.2 CVA00057 3 May 2022 11 May 2022 Omicron BA.2 CVA00058 9 May 2022 15 May 2022 Omicron BA.2 CVA00059 16 May 2022 22 May 2022 Omicron BA.2 CVA00060 23 May 2022 No analysis required because previous data captured on CVA00059 was sufficient. Testing ceased 26 May 2022 PQ Reference Member/Peer Date Published PQ3627 Chris Green MP (Bolton West & Atherton) 24 May 2022 PQ2654 Amy Callaghan MP (East Dunbartonshire) 24 May 2022 HL215 Lord Mendelsohn 25 May 2022 HL219 Lord Mendelsohn 25 May 2022 PQ1507 Alex Cunningham MP (Stockton North) 7 June 2022 PQ3710 Alex Sobel MP (Leeds North West) 7 June 2022 PQ11547 Christopher Chope MP (Christchurch & East Dorset) 14 June 2022 PQ14599 Dan Carden MP (Liverpool Walton) 14 June 2022 HL157 Lord Mendelsohn 16 June 2022 PQ17128 Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP (Streatham) 17 June 2022 PQ15321 Catherine West MP (Hornsey & Wood Green) 21 June 2022 HL653 Lord Mendelsohn 20 June 2022 PQ691 Henry Smith MP (Crawley) 21 June 2022 [HCWS711]
In simplifying the technical language, the responses to these PQs incorrectly indicated that testing was ongoing. During June, the UK Health Security Agency carried out isolation and characterisation of the BA.4 omicron variant in preparation for testing it against various compounds, which could potentially have included Evusheld. However, in the PQ responses, these activities were incorrectly interpreted as testing and the language was simplified. No further testing of Evusheld including against BA.4 omicron variant took place after 26 May 2022.
The table below summarises the testing UKHSA carried out on Evusheld.
Through this WMS I am apologising for these errors and clarifying the situation with regards to the testing of Evusheld. The Department takes its responsibility for parliamentary accountability very seriously and has reviewed and amended the process for checking responses to parliamentary questions to ensure future accuracy. The table below sets out the PQ reference, the Member or peer who asked the question and the date it was published.