Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK-EU future relationship does not introduce delays to the movement of goods and people in relation to the (a) supply of medicines and (b) maintenance of vital machinery and equipment in the event of a future pandemic after the end of the transition period.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Government is committed to ensuring the UK remains a global leader in life sciences and continues to collaborate with European and other countries on scientific research. At the end of the UK transition period, clinical trials will continue to be approved at a national level, working to international standards as they are now. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) along with partners in the UK healthcare system, has taken steps to ensure that all trials, including multinational trials, can continue. The UK is collaborating extensively with international partners in the research effort against COVID-19 and we will continue to do so after the end of the UK transition period.
The UK’s approach to the future relationship negotiations sets out our ambition to reach an agreement that would facilitate trade in medicinal products. However, any responsible Government has a duty to prepare for all scenarios and have robust contingency plans in place. We continue to hold stockpiles to cope with a range of scenarios.
We are doing everything we can to ensure our health and social care staff have the equipment they need to tackle Covid-19 virus. Sourcing sufficient PPE is an international challenge and we are working with many international partners, including the EU. In terms of ventilators, as a result of the Ventilator Challenge the NHS has significantly increased supply.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK-EU future relationship enables UK participation in EU-funded multinational (a) clinical trials and (b) research collaborations on (i) covid-19 treatments and (ii) other medicines after the end of the transition period.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The Government is committed to ensuring the UK remains a global leader in life sciences and continues to collaborate with European and other countries on scientific research. At the end of the UK transition period, clinical trials will continue to be approved at a national level, working to international standards as they are now. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) along with partners in the UK healthcare system, has taken steps to ensure that all trials, including multinational trials, can continue. The UK is collaborating extensively with international partners in the research effort against COVID-19 and we will continue to do so after the end of the UK transition period.
The UK’s approach to the future relationship negotiations sets out our ambition to reach an agreement that would facilitate trade in medicinal products. However, any responsible Government has a duty to prepare for all scenarios and have robust contingency plans in place. We continue to hold stockpiles to cope with a range of scenarios.
We are doing everything we can to ensure our health and social care staff have the equipment they need to tackle Covid-19 virus. Sourcing sufficient PPE is an international challenge and we are working with many international partners, including the EU. In terms of ventilators, as a result of the Ventilator Challenge the NHS has significantly increased supply.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2020 to Question 55054, what indicators his Department plans to use to determine whether to lift covid-19 lockdown restrictions on marriages.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
As set out in ‘Our Plan to Rebuild’, any adjustments to current social distancing controls for England will be timed carefully according to both the current transmission rate of the virus and the Government’s ability to ensure safety. The steps for modifying social distancing measures are set out in the plan, with strict conditions to safely move from each step to the next.
In the strategy, we committed to exploring how to enable people to gather in slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddings. We are actively looking at how we can facilitate small weddings, as soon as possible, to deliver the roadmap.
Step Three of the plan also includes the ambition to open at least some places of worship, including the potential for some small wedding ceremonies. The Government’s current planning assumption is that this step will be no earlier than 4 July, subject to the five tests for easing measures and further detailed scientific advice provided closer to the time, on how far we can go.