Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible implications of the proposed World Health Organization Pandemic Preparedness Treaty for British sovereignty; what assessment they have made of the benefits of the treaty; and whether they intend to sign it.

As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, and the current outbreak of Mpox has reminded us, infectious diseases do not respect borders. That is why the Government is committed to working with our international partners to negotiate a Pandemic Accord (the Accord) that enhances global health security across the world.

The Government is satisfied that the Accord does not have implications for British sovereignty. No proposals have been introduced in negotiations that would cede sovereignty to the World Health Organization in making domestic decisions on national measures concerning public health. The Government would not accept any such proposals, in any case.

Agreeing a meaningful Accord is firmly in the global and the United Kingdom’s interest. An effective Accord should improve the world’s collective ability to prevent, detect, and respond to disease threats, and could stop some from becoming pandemics in the first place. The Government will decide whether to sign the Accord once the agreement has been finalised.