Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) his Department's staff and (b) expat communities abroad receive a covid-19 vaccine.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are closely following other countries' plans to roll out vaccines. We are providing information through Travel Advice pages and 'Living In' guides on gov.uk to inform British nationals of healthcare options available to them and how they can receive a vaccine locally. The UK is playing a leading international role to ensure global access to COVID-19 vaccines. For example, we have contributed £548m to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment to ensure that the 92 most vulnerable economies have access to COVID-19 vaccines and I [Minister Adams] am delighted that this is starting to deliver.
In close alignment with the UK national programme, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry Of Defence are working together to provide access to Covid-19 vaccines for overseas staff and dependants for whom HMG has duty of care.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of a covid-19 vaccine (a) in the UK and (b) throughout the world.
Answered by Wendy Morton
Finding a COVID-19 vaccine is a top priority for the UK Government. The Prime Minister has set up a Vaccine Taskforce and appointed Kate Bingham to lead it. Through the UK's Vaccine Taskforce, the Government is providing industry and research institutions with the resources and support they need, including over £130 million to global vaccine frontrunners being trialled at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London. However, it's not only about finding a successful vaccine. We need better treatments and testing too in order to treat people more effectively and slow the spread of the virus.
The UK has called for clear global commitments from international partners to tackle the pandemic, including through the G7 and G20. The Prime Minister hosted the Global Vaccine Summit on 4 June which brought together over 60 countries including 44 Heads of State and Government, and generated $8.8 billion to support immunisation of over 300 million children from Covid and other preventable diseases. The UK is the largest donor to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to which we have committed £250 million and £1.65 billion respectively. Our Ministers and diplomatic network continue to galvanise international support and financial commitments to support research, development and equitable access to a vaccine.