Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the EU Solidarity Fund has made any payments to member states in response to the covid-19 pandemic; and whether the Government has applied for assistance from that fund.

The Government’s priority is to save lives and we are working with a range of international partners, including the EU, to that end. We are supporting the EU’s efforts to tackle the outbreak and fulfilling our obligations through the Financial Settlement.

The EU have not yet budgeted payments from the Solidarity Fund to Member States in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Applications for funding through the fund are open until late June and the applications will be assessed after the deadline. Therefore, it is unlikely that payments will be made till the summer.

The Government is considering the EU’s new use of the EU Solidarity Fund, and our decision to participate in any cooperation efforts or schemes with the European Commission, and other European and international partners, will always be made on the basis of public health requirements at the time.