Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on potential use of the armed forces to transport seasonal flu vaccines in the event that the shortage of HGV drivers continues.

The Armed Forces provide support to the civil authorities where a situation goes beyond the capacity and/or capability of local authorities and other agencies, through a process known as Military Aid Civil Authorities (MACA) process. The Secretary of State for Defence has had discussions with Cabinet Colleagues around Defence’s role in winter resilience, however, at present, there has been no MACA requests for the Armed Forces to transport seasonal flu vaccines in the event that the shortage of HGV drivers continues.