Tuesday Volume 678 30 June 2020 No. 78 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 30 June 2020 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2020 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 133 30 JUNE 2020 134 Wendy Morton: That is a really important point. The House of Commons Prime Minister has made it clear that equitable access is an integral part of the UK’s approach to vaccine Tuesday 30 June 2020 development and distribution. Only last weekend, he emphasised how all the world’s leaders have a moral duty to ensure that covid-19 vaccines are truly available The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock to all. That is why the UK has contributed more than £313 million of UK aid to CEPI, the COVID-19 PRAYERS Therapeutics Accelerator, the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics. We have also committed £1.65 billion [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] to Gavi over five years to strengthen immunisation for Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Order, vaccine preventable disease in vulnerable countries. 4 June). Andrew Jones: Around the world, there are more than [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] 100 programmes to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Can my hon. Friend confirm that our global diplomatic presence is assisting UK companies and universities to Oral Answers to Questions participate in those programmes, basically by using their local networks to highlight the significant expertise that the UK can contribute, but also vice versa to identify where those contacts can contribute to UK-based FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE programmes, because this is truly a global effort? The Secretary of State was asked— Wendy Morton: Yes, our overseas network is working actively around the globe, particularly through our Covid-19 Vaccine world-leading science and innovation network. The Vaccine Taskforce is also ensuring that work being done to find Dr Jamie Wallis (Bridgend) (Con): What diplomatic a vaccine in the UK complements and supports global steps the Government are taking to support the efforts, including by providing industry and research development of a covid-19 vaccine (a) in the UK and institutions with resources and support. We welcome the (b) throughout the world. [904014] announcement on 4 June of the innovative collaborations between AstraZeneca, CEPI, Gavi and the Serum Institute Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con): of India to support the production of 1.3 billion doses What diplomatic steps the Government are taking to for global access to a potential covid-19 vaccine. support the development of a covid-19 vaccine (a) in the UK and (b) throughout the world. [904032] Christian Wakeford: Israel is at the forefront of MedTech innovation, which presents many opportunities for the Christian Wakeford (Bury South) (Con): What diplomatic UK’s healthcare system, such as the use of AI technology steps the Government are taking to support the in diagnostics and screening. Can my hon. Friend tell development of a covid-19 vaccine (a) in the UK and me what the Government’s plans are to strengthen (b) throughout the world. [904035] partnerships between Israeli MedTech companies and UK researchers, particularly in the north-west, to help Jo Gideon (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Con): What them not only develop a vaccine but better prepare for diplomatic steps the Government are taking to support the potentiality of any future pandemic? the development of a covid-19 vaccine (a) in the UK and (b) throughout the world. [904042] Wendy Morton: International collaboration is absolutely vital as we search for a vaccine, and finding a vaccine The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign for covid-19 is a top priority for the Government. The and Commonwealth Affairs (Wendy Morton): Finding a Prime Minister has made it clear that we see vaccines as covid-19 vaccine is a top priority for the Government. a global challenge and that no one country can do this The Prime Minister has set up a vaccine taskforce and alone. That is why the UK has called for clear global appointed Kate Bingham to lead it. The taskforce aims commitments from international partners to tackle the to secure access to promising vaccines for the UK pandemic, including through the G7, the G20 and other population and to support access to vaccines to help international forums. The Prime Minister hosted a global bring the pandemic to an end. We have invested more vaccine summit on 4 June, which brought together more than £130 million in research for the vaccine front-runners than 60 countries, including 44 Heads of State and at the University of Oxford and Imperial College, London, Government, and raised an incredible $8.8 billion to and this is in addition to the £250 million that we have support immunisation of more than 300 million children contributed to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness against vaccine preventable diseases. Innovations and the £1.65 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Jo Gideon: Does my hon. Friend agree that Britain has demonstrated its global reach during this pandemic? Dr Wallis: I thank the Minister for her answer. Does May I thank the Department for listening to my she agree that central to the development of a vaccine is representations on behalf of my constituents in Stoke- ensuring equitable access for all, particularly for those on-Trent Central, who were repatriated from Kathmandu countries whose health systems are most fragile? and Durban during lockdown, and ask that the Department 135 Oral Answers 30 JUNE 2020 Oral Answers 136 use the same global reach to ensure that our world- Kong’s own institutions, lies in direct conflict with China’s class vaccine development work benefits the global international obligations under the Sino-British joint community? declaration. Wendy Morton: I know how hard my hon. Friend Miss Dines: From what we know so far, it appears works in her Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency.Together, that Beijing has just voted to impose new hard-line the Foreign Secretary, the ministerial team and the national security laws on Hong Kong. They are widely diplomatic network continue to galvanise international thought to include a new law enforcement and intelligence support and financial commitments to support research, agency to operate there, and to give the Chief Executive development and equitable access to vaccines. Through power to appoint judges to hear national security cases. ongoing research at Oxford University and Imperial Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is only through College, London, the UK is leading the way in developing an internationally co-ordinated action that we will be a coronavirus vaccine. We are also working with able to safeguard the hard-fought-for rights and freedoms international partners to ensure that, wherever a vaccine of those in Hong Kong? is discovered, it will benefit the global community as a whole. Dominic Raab: My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and of course it is contrary to, we believe, China’s own Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South and Penarth) (Lab/ interests and also China’s articulation of the relationship Co-op): Mr Speaker, with Hong Kong through the one country, two systems … policy. As she rightly says, we have been working very “The breadth of the work that DFID is involved in is exemplary It closely with our international partners, the EU and the is firmly in our national interest…As we have seen in recent years with the Ebola crisis”.—[Official Report, 13 June 2016; Vol. 611, G7, and, indeed, we are raising the issue with like-minded c. 262.] partners in the United Nations Human Rights Council Those are not my words, but those of the Minister. Destabilising shortly. Britain’s efforts to tackle disease globally in the middle of a pandemic is not diplomatic; it is dangerous, and the hostile Mark Logan [V]: A number of commentators have takeover by the Foreign Secretary has been slammed by 200 leading been conversely saying that Hong Kong’s role as a health and humanitarian agencies, Prime Ministers and MPs financial centre may be buttressed by the national security from both sides of the House, and those who have assessed the law as Chinese companies look to list in Hong Kong, impact of mergers in Australia and Canada. Why does she think now that they are less welcome in the United States. she got it wrong, they all got it wrong, and instead, it is Dominic What does my right hon. Friend make of this controversial Cummings who is right? assessment, and what are his predictions for the future of Hong Kong as an international financial centre and Wendy Morton: I thank my hon. Friend for his question. the implications for both London and British interests? We served together on the International Development Committee several years ago, but to be absolutely clear, Dominic Raab: I thank my hon. Friend, who makes a when it comes to the FCO and DFID merger, as the very important point. Of course, the success of Hong Prime Minister set out on 16 June we retain our Kong—theentrepreneurialspirit,thevibrancy,theeconomic commitment to spending 0.7 % of our gross national success—has been built on its autonomy in the one income on official development assistance, but it is through country, two systems paradigm. That clearly is under closer integration that we will maximise the impact of threat if China, as we now fear, has enacted the legislation our aid budget. At the recent Gavi event—the global and our worst fears in terms of the substantive detail vaccine summit on 4 June—we mobilised the collective are borne out; and of course it would be bad news for influence of diplomacy and development; it is an excellent all international businesses, but, fundamentally, not just example of what the two Departments working together for the people of Hong Kong but for China.