Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to begin negotiations with Novartis on the procurement of the vaccine for meningitis B as part of the primary infant immunisation schedule.

The Government is taking the necessary steps to ensure this procurement is properly conducted.

We are committed to introducing this vaccine in line with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's recommendation, subject to the vaccine being available at a cost-effective price.