Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to use the UK’s forthcoming presidency of the G7 to increase (a) investment and (b) coordination in global health systems strengthening in order to help (i) tackle covid-19 and (ii) ensure better preparation for future pandemics.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working closely with other Government departments to define the objectives for the UK's G7 Presidency in 2021. These will be shared in due course.

Strengthening global health systems is a priority for the Government. As the Prime Minister made clear to the UN General Assembly, the UK will use its G7 Presidency to create a new global approach to health security based on a five-point plan to protect humanity against another pandemic. The 2021 UK Presidency is an opportunity to collectively support a recovery from COVID-19 and pursue our vision for a safer, healthier and more prosperous world, including protection against future pandemics and other health threats.