Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) cooperated with the government of China to suppress information about the emergence of COVID-19, and (2) the extent of the influence of that government within the WHO. [T]

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has an important role to play in coordinating the global health response - underpinned by the latest public health and scientific evidence. The UK has always been clear that, at the right time, there will need to be a full and independent review into the pandemic. The World Health Assembly resolution on COVID-19, which the UK co-sponsored, calls on the WHO to initiate an independent and comprehensive evaluation. This is an important step in learning the lessons of this pandemic.

China is currently one of 34 member states represented on the World Health Assembly's Executive Board, as is the United Kingdom. The World Health Assembly, which is the WHO's supreme decision making body, includes representatives of all 194 member states. In line with their responsibilities in the international community, China has a vital role in the global response to the pandemic and any long-term health challenge. The immediate focus continues to be stopping the spread of the virus through global action but, at the right time, we will work with the international community, including China, to learn lessons.