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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.