Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to recognise the marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency of any coronavirus (2019-nCoV) vaccine to ensure there is no risk of delay in the UK acquiring the vaccine in comparison to countries in the EU.

As of 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom is in the Transition Period. During this time the UK will continue to follow EU legislation which includes European Medicines Agency processes and decisions until 31 December 2020. As such any European Union centrally authorised medicines, including any COVID-19 vaccine, would also be authorised in the UK.

The UK is a world leader in preparing for and managing public health incidents and on 3 March the Government published its action plan to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

Both the EU and the UK are committed to agreeing a future partnership by the end of 2020 and are working to achieve this. The Government is working to ensure that UK patients can access the best and most innovative medicines, whatever the result of negotiations with the EU on our future relationship. It is in the interests of both the UK and the EU to agree a future partnership that keeps goods flowing, services being provided and business being done.