Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19 Vaccine Roll-out

Wednesday 27 January 2021 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • James Davies asked about the assessment of progress on the roll-out of the covid-19 vaccine in Scotland, to which the response indicated that the UK Government procures vaccines for the entire UK, and the Scottish Government manages their distribution.
  • Rob Roberts inquired about discussions to guarantee sufficient vaccinations for all parts of the UK to hit their targets by mid-February, receiving confirmation that all devolved Administrations receive vaccine shares based on population and have an equal chance to meet the target.
  • James Davies also questioned the importance of comparable statistics across the UK for driving up NHS performance, with the response affirming the commitment to transparency and sharing best practices between UK and devolved Administrations.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 James Davies Con
NHS Scotland
Context

The MP is concerned about progress on the vaccine roll-out in Scotland.

Question

What assessment has his Department made of progress on the roll-out of the covid-19 vaccine in Scotland?

Answer from Alister Jack

The Government are procuring vaccines on behalf of all parts of the United Kingdom and supplying them to the devolved Administrations. It is for the Scottish Government to manage the roll-out of the vaccines in Scotland. However, our British armed forces are supporting the NHS in Scotland in this vital task.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked for an assessment but received only a general statement and information on support from the military.

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Q2 Rob Roberts
NHS
Context

The MP is concerned about hitting vaccination targets for priority groups by mid-February.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend confirm what discussions he has had with the vaccines Minister to guarantee that the four constituent parts of the UK will receive sufficient vaccinations to hit their targets of the first four groups by the middle of February?

Answer from Alister Jack

The devolved Administrations are receiving their shares of vaccine based on population, and the schedule of deliveries will fully support vaccinations of the first four priority cohorts by 15 February. All parts of the United Kingdom therefore have an equal chance of meeting that mid-February target.

Answered
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Q3 Antony Higginbotham
Defence Scotland
Context

The MP highlights the role of armed forces in supporting testing and now vaccination centres.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that this shows the strength of the United Kingdom family, with help and assistance ready to be sent to any corner of it?

Answer from Alister Jack

I am absolutely delighted to echo my hon. Friend's comments. Our British armed forces have played a number of essential roles in Scotland during the pandemic. They have airlifted patients to mainland hospitals from islands. They have delivered personal protective equipment. They have run mobile testing centres in rural areas and, at present, as he alluded to, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards are setting up 80 vaccination centres across Scotland.

Answered
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Q4 James Davies Con
NHS
Context

The MP raises concerns about direct comparisons and transparency across different parts of the UK.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that directly comparable statistics across the UK can be incredibly helpful to drive up performance in the NHS, and will he outline the plans that he has to pursue this agenda further?

Answer from Alister Jack

Government Ministers in both the UK and the devolved Administrations are committed to transparency around the numbers of people who have been vaccinated. There are also a number of mechanisms for sharing best practice between Ministers and officials of all Administrations. The faster we can vaccinate, the more lives we can protect and the quicker we can return to normal.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked for plans but received only statements on commitment and existing mechanisms.

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Q5 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
NHS Scotland
Context

The MP raises concerns about the supply of vaccines to GP practices.

Question

May I start by thanking the GPs and other NHS staff across the Scottish borders, who have been working incredibly hard over the last few weeks to get vaccines into people's arms? I have been speaking to GP practices across my constituency. One of them said: “Our English counterparts over the border seem to have access to a lot more vaccines than us and that is causing a lot of unrest within the community.” She went on to say that if we could have a guarantee of a definite amount of vaccines from the Scottish Government, it would make it a much easier job to plan and administer. What assistance can the UK Government provide to ensure that vaccines are delivered to GPs more quickly and efficiently across Scotland?

Answer from Alister Jack

The UK Government are ensuring that NHS Scotland gets an equitable share of those vaccines. How it is distributed is a matter for NHS Scotland and, rightly, as health is devolved, that is a matter for the Scottish Government. If my hon. Friend's constituents are concerned about any aspects of distribution, the best thing for them would be to take up their concerns with the Scottish Government.

Not addressed: The MP asked for assistance but received only deflection towards the Scottish Government.

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