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Written Question
Vaccination: Windsor Framework
Monday 27th March 2023

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether vaccines are contained within the definition of medicines in the Windsor Framework.

Answered by Will Quince

Vaccines are a type of medicine. ‘Medicinal products’ are defined in Regulation 2 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. The Windsor Framework secures a United Kingdom-wide regime for the approval and supply of medicines, removing the role of the European Medicines Agency and helping to ensure that medicines are available at the same time and on the same basis right across the UK.


Written Question
Drugs and Vaccination: Clinical Trials
Tuesday 21st March 2023

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to increase the number of clinical trials for (a) vaccines and (b) other medicines.

Answered by Will Quince

In March 2021, the Government published its vision Saving and Improving Lives: The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery. The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery: 2022 to 2025 implementation plan, published June 2021, outlines the steps that the Department and its partners will take to increase the number of clinical trials and studies, including those for vaccines and other medicines.

The Government has recently entered a 10-year partnership with Moderna which includes substantial investment in United Kingdom-based research and development, including running a significant number of clinical trials in the UK.

In addition, Lord James O’Shaughnessy was appointed in February 2023 to undertake a review of commercial clinical trials in the UK. He will publish his advice this spring, this will include recommendations of priority actions to make progress in 2023, as well as setting out longer-term ambitions for UK clinical trials.


Written Question
Disease Control
Thursday 9th June 2022

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his letter of 6 June 2022, reference PO-1405720, if he will make it his policy not to be a signatory to any treaty with the World Health Organisation which would enable instructions to be given to the Government on when lockdowns may or may not be imposed in any future pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

The Government supports a new international legally binding instrument to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

The process for developing this new pandemic instrument will be led by the member countries of the World Health Organization, including the United Kingdom. The instrument would become binding if and when the UK accepts it in accordance with our constitutional process. The UK would remain in control of any future domestic decisions about national restrictions or other measures and would be subject to Parliamentary approval.


Written Question
Doctors' List of Patients: Ukraine
Monday 25th April 2022

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance and assistance his Department provides to (a) clinical commissioning groups and (b) general practitioners on enabling Ukrainian refugees who are temporarily resident in the UK to be able to register easily and quickly for GP services.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities produces the ‘Migrant health guide’, a free, online resource designed to support primary care practitioners. It includes information on migrants’ entitlement to the National Health Service, guidance for assessing new patients, tailored health information specific to over 100 countries of origin and guidance on a range of communicable and non-communicable diseases and health issues. In addition, all arrivals will receive a welcome pack in Ukrainian, Russian or English which outlines their entitlement to free health care and includes details of how to register with a general practitioner.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Wednesday 2nd March 2022

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will add to the National Booking System covid-19 vaccination centres which have the capacity of 500 vaccinations a week but which are below the current 1,000 vaccinations per week threshold.

Answered by Maggie Throup

The criteria for adding new vaccination centres or sites to the National Booking System (NBS) is dependent upon the delivery model. All community pharmacy vaccination sites and mass vaccination centres are automatically added to the NBS regardless of their capacity. Regional systems prioritise the addition of sites to the NBS according to local need and may also include smaller sites such as ‘pop-ups’ to meet local care needs.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Monday 10th January 2022

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to initiate a fourth mass covid-19 vaccination programme.

Answered by Maggie Throup

We have no current plans for a fourth mass COVID-19 vaccination programme.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has stated that it is not known whether recurrent boosters will be required in the long term. The current advice on booster vaccinations applies to this highly active phase of the pandemic. We will continue to be informed by the latest scientific advice from the JCVI on whether further action is required.


Written Question
Health Services: Israel
Monday 20th December 2021

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what collaboration is taking place between the UK and Israel in the digital health sector; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

Digital health collaboration between the United Kingdom and Israel includes the UK-Israel Tech Corridor, where the Leeds Corridor pairs National Health Service organisations with Israeli health technology companies to advance their product or clinical work. The UK also plans to host a UK-Israel Innovation Summit next year, where digital health will feature.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Monday 6th December 2021

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS Covid Travel pass on the NHS App in England will be adapted to show the date of the third and any subsequent booster shots.

Answered by Maggie Throup

From 19 November, the NHS COVID Pass can now be used to demonstrate proof of a booster or third dose for outbound international travel. This record is available through the NHS App and NHS.UK and includes the date of each vaccination. Booster vaccinations are not required for domestic certification in England. In light of recent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to extend the booster programme, we will keep the inclusion of boosters for domestic certification under review.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Monday 6th September 2021

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the proposed autumn Covid-19 booster vaccination programme will include a modified vaccine with improved efficacy against the (a) delta and (b) other covid-19 variants.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) interim advice on a potential COVID-19 booster vaccination programme states that vaccines designed specifically against variants of concern will not be available in time for booster revaccination this autumn. The use of variant vaccines will be considered by the JCVI in due course.

Final decisions on the timing, scope and cohort eligibility of any COVID-19 vaccine booster programme will be confirmed once the JCVI has provided their final advice. The JCVI’s advice will take into account the latest epidemiological situation, additional scientific data from trials such as COV-Boost, surveillance of the effectiveness of the vaccines over time and emerging variants.


Written Question
Department of Health and Social Care: CCTV
Tuesday 6th July 2021

Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who (a) installed and (b) gave the authority for the installation of a surveillance camera in the office of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care; and whether the Secretary of State was made aware of that camera.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The closed circuit television camera was installed by the Department as part of the office fit prior to moving into the building in 2017. The camera was authorised as part of an approval for the installation of cameras by the Department’s internal governance. The previous Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (the Rt hon. Matt Hancock MP) was not made aware of the camera.