Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Baroness Watkins of Tavistock
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Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre
Baroness Watkins of Tavistock Excerpts(2 years ago)
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Lord Callanan (Con)
Of course the legislation applies, as it does to all transactions that have taken place in this country since 1 January, so we would bear any appropriate security considerations in mind in any potential call-in. I obviously cannot comment on any particular circumstances, as the noble Lord will understand, but we are happy for this transaction to proceed.
Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)
Could the noble Lord explain whether we would be able to contain vaccines in this country from the centre in the event of us needing mass inoculation again?
Lord Callanan (Con)
The centre has not been completed —it is still under construction—so it has not produced any vaccines yet. Obviously whether it does so will be a matter for its new owners. But the Government have a wide range of emergency powers that we may need to deploy in the event of any future pandemic.