Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) national and (b) international potential merits of introducing a TRIPS waiver in respect of covid-19 related (i) vaccines and (ii) vaccine technology.

Whilst HM Government has not seen evidence that Intellectual Property (IP) is a barrier to the production or supply of COVID-19 goods, including vaccines, we will continue to engage constructively in debates at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Council and other international institutions to promote affordable and equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines for all.

The United Kingdom affirmed this commitment in the G7 Trade Ministers’ communique of 22^nd October, which notes our determination to achieve an impactful outcome on trade and health, including how the international IP framework can best support the WTO’s pandemic response.