Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to ensure the armed forces are prepared to support the roll out of covid-19 vaccines as soon as they become available; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on using the armed forces to assist in the distribution of the vaccine.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has prepared a Winter Support Force of 13,500 personnel to respond to a range of challenges over the winter including COVID-19. 115 personnel are currently supporting vaccine delivery tasks (as at 30 November) and the MOD is working closely with other Departments on future plans. Relevant Ministers, including the Secretary of State for Defence, discuss this subject routinely.