Coronavirus: Vaccination

(asked on 20th January 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of supporting the exemption of (a) least developed countries from TRIPS Agreement obligations and (b) all low and middle-income countries to not enforce TRIPS during the covid-19 pandemic to enable collaboration and help scale-up access to vaccines, tests and treatments; and if she will make a statement.


Answered by
Penny Mordaunt Portrait
Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
This question was answered on 1st February 2022

The UK supported the Least Developed Countries’ request for an extension of the transition period for compliance with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in June 2021.

While HM Government remains open to initiatives that will help with vaccine production and distribution, there is no evidence that waiving intellectual property protections would advance these objectives.

We must focus on actions that will make a real difference. This includes delivering and administering vaccines globally, as well as ensuring the WTO’s pandemic response package incorporates ambitious trade measures to help vital supplies reach those who need them most.

Reticulating Splines