Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the decision in late 2015 to use, and the procurement in 2016 of, a paediatric hexavalent vaccine that includes hepatitis B, what plans his Department has to introduce a universal vaccination for hepatitis B in the UK.

The routine childhood vaccination programme in England includes the existing five in one (pentavalent) vaccine which protects against five diseases - diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, and haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).

From autumn 2017 this will be replaced by a six in one (hexavalent) vaccine which also protects against hepatitis B.