Extract from oral answer (Lords) on Covid-19: Vaccine Production - June 17
Friday, 18 June 2021 08:38
Baroness Sheehan (LD): My Lords, the temporary TRIPS waiver
proposed by South Africa and India to the WTO is supported by the
US and France, as well as the leaders of the COVAX initiative—Gavi
and the WHO—which has proven entire-chain processes that deliver to
the last mile. Does the Minister agree that the counter-proposal by
the European Commission to encourage voluntary action and reliance
on compulsory licences is a red herring, because both options
already exist? Millions of people...Request free trial
(LD): My Lords, the temporary TRIPS waiver proposed
by South Africa and India to the WTO
is supported by the US and France, as well as the leaders of the
COVAX initiative—Gavi and the WHO—which has proven entire-chain
processes that deliver to the last mile. Does the Minister agree
that the counter-proposal by the European Commission to encourage
voluntary action and reliance on compulsory licences is a red
herring, because both options already exist? Millions of people
have died while we rely on the good will of big pharma, which has
yet again failed the humanity test.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy () (Con):
I am afraid that I do not agree with the noble Baroness. We
are working with industry, the COVAX Manufacturing Task Force and
the ACT-A Vaccine Manufacturing Working Group to champion other
routes to scale up capacity and engage on forward supply chain
planning in order to accelerate and progress vaccination programmes
across the world. We think that is the best way forward...
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