Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

New Covid Variants: Government Preparedness

28 June 2023 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Neale Hanvey Lab Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath

NHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Neale Hanvey raised concerns about new covid variants: government preparedness in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Neale Hanvey criticised the Government's past failures in pandemic preparedness and the UK Health Security Agency's partnerships with Moderna.
  • Hanvey raised concerns about the effectiveness and sustainability of current strategies and the potential loss of domestic diagnostic sector capabilities.
  • Minister Maria Caulfield acknowledged the importance of pandemic preparedness and highlighted ongoing efforts by the UK Health Security Agency in surveillance and monitoring of new variants.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Neale Hanvey Lab Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath

Neale Hanvey addressed the Government's response to new covid-19 variants and biological threats, criticising past failures in pandemic preparedness. He highlighted the shutting down of dissenting voices during the pandemic and criticised the UK Health Security Agency’s partnerships with Moderna for vaccine development. Concerns were raised about the effectiveness and sustainability of current strategies, and the potential loss of intellectual capability within the domestic diagnostic sector due to government inaction. Hanvey emphasised the need for a broad portfolio of vaccines and better integration of waste water surveillance.

Other contributors (1)
  • Mark Pritchard Con The Wrekin

    Acknowledged Neale Hanvey's experience, expressed concerns over vaccine hesitancy due to misinformation on social media.

Government Response

Maria Caulfield

Minister Maria Caulfield acknowledged the importance of pandemic preparedness and emphasised ongoing efforts by UK Health Security Agency in surveillance, sequencing, and monitoring of new variants. She noted that while mRNA vaccines are part of their toolkit, other vaccine types remain available. The Government continues to fund international variant assessment platforms and is working closely with partners globally. Caulfield assured transparency regarding vaccine portfolios and offered to meet Neale Hanvey for further discussions.

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