Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, 22 December 2025, whether he plans to make additional financial contributions to the European Union as a consequence of the new provisions on Health Security.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The United Kingdom is committed to working with the European Union to strengthen our preparedness and response capabilities to serious cross-border health threats. The UK and the EU are exploring ways to enable improved information exchange and cooperation on health security, including within the existing framework of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement health security provisions. The details of any agreements, including financial contributions, are subject to ongoing negotiations with the EU.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress he has made on updating the Rare Diseases Framework.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Rare Diseases Framework was published following the National Conversation on Rare Diseases, which received nearly 6,300 responses. This helped identify the four priorities of the framework in tackling rare diseases: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster; increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals; better coordination of care; and improving access to specialist care, treatment, and drugs.
The Government remains committed to improving the lives of those living with rare conditions, and will be publishing the next England Rare Diseases Action Plan for rare disease day in 2026, as in previous years. We recognise that despite the progress that has been made there remains considerable unmet need for people living with rare conditions. We are carefully considering the future of the UK Rare Disease Framework and will be announcing our intentions in due course.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to reply to the letter of 16 October 2025 from the hon. Member for Brentwood and Onager on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We received the Hon. Member’s correspondence of 16 October 2025 and responded on 4 November 2025.
Asked by: Alex Burghart (Conservative - Brentwood and Ongar)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made with Moderna on the (a) manufacture of mRNA vaccines in the UK, (b) establishment of a global clinical trials base and (c) investment in UK-based research and development activities.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
As part of the Moderna-UK Strategic Partnership signed in December 2022, Moderna is building an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Harwell, Oxfordshire. The Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre will support the United Kingdom to be more resilient in the face of future pandemics and health emergencies. It is expected to become operational in 2025.
Moderna is also committed to substantial investment in research and development activities in the UK over the 10-year partnership. This includes running a significant number of clinical trials in the UK and funding grants for UK universities, including PhD places and research programmes.
Since the partnership was established, Moderna has launched 13 trials at over 80 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales, including for Mpox, respiratory syncytial virus, and COVID-19 vaccines. Moderna has funded a PhD at the University of Cambridge and four mRNA Access Partnerships across UK universities. This partnership will also create over 150 skilled jobs in the UK.