Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of intellectual property rights on the ability of vaccine manufacturers around the world to increase production of covid-19 vaccines; and if he will make a statement.

We have seen little evidence that intellectual property rights are hindering the ability of vaccine manufacturers to increase vaccine production. However, we recognise that vaccine production and distribution need to be scaled up. That is why the UK is proud to be playing a leading role in the global effort to develop and distribute vaccines. Our contribution to the development of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is well known. The UK has also been one of the most generous nations and has provided £548m to COVAX. Using £250m of matched funding the UK mobilised $1bn that will supply 1.3 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to up to 92 lower- and middle-income countries by the end of 2021. The UK is also the single largest country donor to Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance (£1.65bn) and the single largest country donor to the Centre for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).We will continue to explore every opportunity to get vaccines to everyone across the world as quickly as possible.