Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made with Moderna on the (a) manufacture of mRNA vaccines in the UK, (b) establishment of a global clinical trials base and (c) investment in UK-based research and development activities.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the Moderna-UK Strategic Partnership signed in December 2022, Moderna is building an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Harwell, Oxfordshire. The Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre will support the United Kingdom to be more resilient in the face of future pandemics and health emergencies. It is expected to become operational in 2025.
Moderna is also committed to substantial investment in research and development activities in the UK over the 10-year partnership. This includes running a significant number of clinical trials in the UK and funding grants for UK universities, including PhD places and research programmes.
Since the partnership was established, Moderna has launched 13 trials at over 80 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales, including for Mpox, respiratory syncytial virus, and COVID-19 vaccines. Moderna has funded a PhD at the University of Cambridge and four mRNA Access Partnerships across UK universities. This partnership will also create over 150 skilled jobs in the UK.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of plain cigarette packaging on smoking rates.
Answered by Steve Brine
The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 came into force on 20 May 2016. The Government consulted on the introduction of standardised packaging and published an impact assessment, which included benefits to public health. The Government will review these regulations by 2021 .