Covid-19 Inquiry Module 4 Report: Government Response

Esther McVey Excerpts

Tuesday 27th October 2026 Westminster Hall

[Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart. In a democratic society, we should be able to rely on an inquiry to establish accurately what happened, what should happen, and how things should happen better in the future. I am incredibly concerned that this inquiry is failing to do that with sweeping assumptions that from the start the vaccines were to be used—the phrase used was “safe and effective”. The module 4 report states that

“It is neither proportionate nor practicable for the Inquiry to reach a view on the safety of particular vaccines”

but then goes on to declare, with the utmost assurance, that

“the steps taken by the UK government and regulatory bodies did not compromise the UK’s rigorous safety standards.”

How can they be sure when they have not reached a view on the safety of the vaccines?

Time is limited, so I would like to go to an issue that happened to a woman, a mother, in my constituency, who was given the Moderna covid-19 booster vaccine in a care home. Her family recently succeeded in their claim to the vaccine damages payment scheme. Their case described mass, serious adverse events among the other residents of their mother’s care home, and the death of a second resident also attributed to the side effects. The family have spent years painstakingly collating evidence and research that shows that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency not only failed in its statutory duties by not properly investigating the clear safety signal of multiple care home residents suffering a series of fatal reactions, but failed to be honest about the wholesale lack of safety evidence for using Moderna in the frail, elderly, care home cohort, either as a main dose or as a booster.

Some 70% of the elderly in our care homes have dementia and over half of residents are frail, yet,

“Frail subjects with unstable health conditions and co-morbidities…including chronic neurological disease”

were identified as “missing information” in Moderna’s own risk management plan. As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on pandemic response and recovery, I have written to the MHRA twice, but have not yet heard from the agency. Will the Minister take the time to meet me and the family to discuss why we have not had a response?

--- Later in debate ---

[Dame Diana Johnson]

Yes, I am happy to say that that is what I am thinking about because of the unfairness of that 60% barrier. I am certainly looking at that. It will be considered. I am not saying exactly what will be decided, but that is certainly an option that I have asked officials to look at.

I note that the scheme has not been reformed since I was a member of the Labour Government in 2007. Of course the scheme must be made fit for the future; I think we can all agree on that. That is why Ministers will again meet with families of the injured and bereaved families before the end of the year. In the coming weeks, before Christmas, my officials will meet with advisers put forward by the families of the injured and bereaved families to listen to their views on possible options for reform of the vaccine damage payment scheme. From now until spring, officials will meet and engage with our key partners, including those injured and bereaved, to discuss the reforms. I look forward to updating colleagues in the spring.

[Esther McVey]

My specific concern is about the MHRA, which is meant to highlight and give out warnings on what is going on. The MHRA has failed throughout this situation; when we meet, can we also discuss its failings?

[Dame Diana Johnson]

Yes, I am happy to meet with the right hon. Lady and to discuss all the points that she wishes to raise.

Nearly everyone in our country remembers when they walked into their local clinic or pharmacy, or even into their church hall, school sports hall or village hall, to get their jab. We remember with pride how a country rallied together as part of a national effort to save lives. For most of us the vaccine was a welcome relief, offering additional freedoms and safety, but for some families it brought devastating loss and hardship. As the new Minister responsible for this policy I am committed to working closely with those families, who I met just last week, and I want progress made quickly. We will report any interim progress through the UK covid-19 inquiry implementation updates.

The public have a right to know that we are learning from past mistakes and as the Minister for Public Health I will never take the public’s trust for granted. The Government’s response to module 4 will not be some exercise in box-ticking or window-dressing because we know that, when it comes to preparing for future public health emergencies, readiness is all and we need the trust of our communities.