Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to fight misinformation to prepare for a future pandemic.

The UK Health Security Agency worked closely with public health and science experts during COVID-19 to ensure transparency and that the science behind advice is shared. Communication plans and countering misinformation will form a key part of pandemic preparedness.

We continue to monitor misinformation and disinformation that forms a barrier to the uptake of vaccinations, disruption to access, drivers of low uptake and public health measures in both on and offline forums. We also liaise with the World Health Organization, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to share reports and horizon scan for incoming threats and issues as part of our business-as-usual activity and ongoing disease surveillance and emergency preparedness.