EU Coronavirus Vaccine Programme

Lord Dobbs Excerpts

Monday 13th July 2020 Lords Chamber

[The Deputy Speaker (Lord Lexden) (Con)]

Viscount Waverley. No? No connection, I think. I call the noble Lord, Lord Dobbs.

[Lord Dobbs (Con) [V]]

My Lords, there have been some pretty knee-jerk reactions to this announcement. Can the Minister confirm that this decision is not about being against co-operation—far from it; it is precisely what Brexit and a new policy are about: a new relationship based on co-operation? However, does my noble friend agree that in this crucial step in our battle against the virus it would be entirely inappropriate to hand over decisions about costs, timing and distribution, and even rationing if it came to that, to a European Commission on which there is not a single British voice?

[Lord Callanan]

My noble friend makes a good point, but this was an individual decision about this particular programme, which we did not think was well suited to UK needs. We would not have been able to take part in the governance of the scheme or be part of the negotiating team. We would have had no say on what vaccines were procured nor on their price, quantity or delivery schedule, nor even on whether they would be made available to people in this country. It was a pragmatic decision on this particular scheme, but we do not rule out future co-operation with the EU on other schemes.