Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for International Development attached any public interest conditions to the £250 million granted to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The UK is leading international efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine that is equitable and accessible.

Following a virtual summit of G20 leaders on the 26 March, the UK Prime Minister called on governments to work together to develop a vaccine as quickly as possible and make it available to anyone who needs it. As subsequently agreed by the G20, we support a global approach to the rapid development and scaled up manufacture of vaccines that are equitable and accessible. We are working with technical partners and WHO to support an approach to Research & Development, regulation and funding that will deliver that.

Our £250 million funding to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is the biggest donation of any country to date. CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil society organisations, to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics. CEPI is leading the international coordination of vaccine research, making sure that the best experts from around the world get the investments they need to make rapid progress on a vaccine for this COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, the UK is also the largest funder to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi will play a key role in working with CEPI to make a new coronavirus vaccine available and affordable.