Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2020 to Question 122697 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, how much funding his Department allocated towards vaccine research that did not involve aborted human fetal tissue in its development, production and laboratory testing in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Department’s Research and Development (R&D) settlement has increased to £11.1 billion for 2021/22. This settlement supports our commitments as set out in the R&D Roadmap and helps to consolidate our position as a science superpower. Specific funding is subject to our departmental allocations process, which is now underway and progressing at pace, including the allocation of this funding to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Most of the research into vaccines for human use that is funded by the Department is carried out through the Medical Research Council (MRC), part of UKRI. The latest available data shows that in 2017/18, the MRC funded £25 million into research aimed at developing vaccines. This data does not record whether this work involved the use of aborted human foetal tissue.
Any use of such tissue would require an ethical review and must be in accordance with legal requirements. The MRC has produced guidance on the ethical and legal requirements for the use of human tissue in the research that it funds.
UKRI welcomes high quality applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health. Where specific funding is allocated in advance for a strategic area of research, such as vaccines, such allocations would not normally specify the research methodology to be used.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether any aborted fetuses material has been used in the development of any covid-19 vaccines.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
At the time of a marketing authorisation, the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) will include a full list of the drug substances and excipients. There are statutory requirements for what is required in an SmPC document and we will follow those for Covid-19 vaccines. More information is available in the “Guideline on Quality Aspects Included in the Product Information for Vaccines for Human Use”.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his plans to (a) promote the cultivation of and (b) develop processing facilities for bioenergy crops will be put in place in all parts of the UK.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
BEIS works across the UK government and alongside the Devolved Administrations to deliver our carbon budgets and net zero target for 2050. Analysis by the Committee on Climate Change of low-cost pathways to net zero has suggested that an expanded domestic supply of bioenergy feedstocks could be valuable in meeting those targets.
BEIS does not directly fund the promotion of bioenergy crops and their processing. BEIS currently supports the production of low carbon electricity and heat from bioenergy feedstocks through schemes such as the Feed in Tariff and Renewable Heat Incentive, and continues to explore the scope for innovation to address economic and technical issues facing the bioenergy sector.
Land use and agriculture are devolved matters.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that non-essential shops and food and beverage outlets at airports are able to effectively operate within the airside and international travel environment.
Answered by Paul Scully
On 11 May, the Government published its COVID-19 recovery strategy which sets out a roadmap to a phased recovery. As per my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s announcement of the five ministerial-led taskforces which form part of this recovery effort, BEIS is responsible for two of the five ministerial-led taskforces: Pubs and restaurants and Non-essential retail (including salons). Phase 2 of the approach will look at re-opening closed businesses in these sectors and the taskforces will be working closely with key stakeholders to begin reopening retail businesses in phases from 1 June.
These taskforces will aim to look at various issues which impact the closed businesses and we will develop plans for how and when closed sectors can reopen safely in due time, guided by the science and experts.