Minister for Public Health and Prevention (): The UK Health Security
Agency (UKHSA) is receiving a supply of doses of the antiviral
medicine favipiravir (FAVI) from the Government of Japan to
support the United Kingdom's preparedness and response to
Hantavirus.
Favipiravir is not currently licensed for use in the United
Kingdom. In line with standard international practice for the
provision of medical countermeasures of this nature, the
Government of Japan and the supplier have requested that the
United Kingdom provides an indemnity in respect of liabilities
that may arise from the use of the product.
This indemnity constitutes a contingent liability. The Government
has concluded that it represents an appropriate and proportionate
arrangement to secure access to a clinically recommended
countermeasure, supporting the Government's ability to respond to
the current outbreak and protect the public's health.
The liability is unquantifiable at this time and is expected to
be called upon only in highly unlikely circumstances.
In the normal course of events, a departmental minute would be
laid before Parliament for 14 sitting days prior to the indemnity
being entered into, in accordance with Managing Public Money. Due
to the urgent need to secure supply and support the UK's response
to the current hantavirus outbreak, this has not been possible.
The departmental minute has been laid before parliament today.
The Department has written to the PAC and Health and Social Care
Select Committee to notify them that Parliament could not be
informed in advance of making this commitment. Further
correspondence will be provided to the committees.
