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Select Committee · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

UK Science, Research and Technology Capability and Influence in Global Disease Outbreaks

Status: Closed Opened: 20 Mar 2020 Closed: 16 Nov 2022 19 recommendations 8 conclusions 1 report

The Coronavirus covid-19 outbreak is the latest in a series of disease outbreaks that have spread internationally, presenting major challenges to communities, national governments and international institutions. Scientific knowledge and advice are foundational to the prevention, management and treatment of these global outbreaks, at both an international and national level. Once the covid-19 pandemic has … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - The UK response to covid-19: use of scientif… HC 136 8 Jan 2021 27 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
21 Conclusion First Report - The UK response to covid… Acknowledged

The Committee will report separately and more fully on the test, trace and isolate system...

The Committee will report separately and more fully on the test, trace and isolate system and the mass testing programme in due course. But in considering the role of science advice, and its influence on Government decisions, we are concerned by the continued lack of justification provided to the Committee … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government explains its belief that a combined national and local approach for test, trace, and isolate is best, detailing how NHS Test and Trace was designed with local engagement to be an integrated service from the outset.
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
22 Conclusion First Report - The UK response to covid… Acknowledged

The creation of NHS Test and Trace involves a budget of £22 billion for financial...

The creation of NHS Test and Trace involves a budget of £22 billion for financial year 2020–21 and the justification for most of its spending being on the central part of the system, rather than through local public health teams, has not been clearly made. Concerns have also been raised … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government justifies its combined national and local approach for NHS Test and Trace, stating it was always intended to be integrated and has involved extensive local engagement through Regional Engagement Teams and partnerships. It explains that this multi-faceted approach is best suited for delivering …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
24 Recommendation First Report - The UK response to covid… Acknowledged

Throughout the pandemic, the UK has relied on its own bespoke system of science advice...

Throughout the pandemic, the UK has relied on its own bespoke system of science advice and guidance on non-pharmaceutical interventions, while at the same time global-level guidance has been issued regularly by the World Health Organisation (WHO). There have also been numerous opportunities to learn from the approaches undertaken by … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it keeps non-pharmaceutical interventions under constant review and engages in regular dialogue with other countries, considering international approaches in its policy decisions. However, it does not commit to a specific review of the relationship between SAGE, international advisory structures, and the WHO …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
25 Recommendation First Report - The UK response to covid… Acknowledged

Given the importance of refining interventions to mitigate both impacts on public health and economic...

Given the importance of refining interventions to mitigate both impacts on public health and economic recovery, a review of social distancing measures came quite late. While the scientific approach quite rightly waits for the evidence before making a definitive recommendation, this often necessitates delay and may not produce conclusive results. … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it keeps NPIs and social distancing under constant review and is conducting a review of these measures, collaborating with advisors and engaging with other countries. However, it does not commit to a specific comparative review against SARS/MERS countries or to publishing findings …
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Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Oral evidence sessions

27 sessions
Date Witnesses
30 Mar 2022 Professor Ann John · Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (SPI-B)., Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser · UK Government View ↗
2 Mar 2022 Dr Camilla Holten-Møller · Statens Serum Institut, Denmark, Dr Raghib Ali · MRC Epidemiology Unit, the University of Cambridge, Dr Sarah Scobie · Nuffield Trust, Ed Humpherson · UK Statistics Authority, Professor Graham Medley · Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M). View ↗
14 Dec 2021 Dame Kate Bingham · UK Vaccine Taskforce, Dr Angelique Coetzee · South African Medical Association, Dr Paul Burton · Moderna, Dr Susan Hopkins · UK Health Security Agency, Professor Steven Riley · UK Health Security Agency, Professor Wei Shen Lim · JCVI COVID-19 sub-committee View ↗
26 Oct 2021 Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis · Public Health Services, Israel, Dr Thomas Waite · Department for Health and Social Care, Professor Andrew Curran · Health and Safety Executive, Professor Lucy Chappell · Department of Health and Social Care, Professor Mario Mondelli · University of Pavia, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard · Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, Professor Sir Stephen Holgate · University of Southampton View ↗
16 Jun 2021 Dr Susan Hopkins · UK Health Security Agency, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard · Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, Professor Wendy Barclay · Imperial College London View ↗
28 Apr 2021 Dr Mary Ramsay · UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Dr Ruth Payne · University of Sheffield, Professor Anthony Harnden · Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, Professor Christopher Dye · University of Oxford, Professor John Aston · University of Cambridge, Professor Ran Balicer · Clalit Research Institute, Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed · Commission on Human Medicines View ↗
9 Mar 2021 Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England · Department of Health and Social Care, Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser · UK Government View ↗
24 Feb 2021 Dr Philip Dormitzer · Pfizer, Madelaine McTernan · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Nadhim Zahawi · Department for Health and Social Care, Professor Anthony Harnden · Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, Professor Sarah Gilbert · University of Oxford, Professor Wendy Barclay · Imperial College London View ↗
17 Feb 2021 Dr James Rubin · Kings College London, Dr Johanna Hutchinson · Joint Biosecurity Centre, James Hetherington · Joint Biosecurity Centre, Professor Dame Angela McLean · HM Government, Professor Mark Woolhouse OBE · University of Edinburgh, Professor Sir John Bell · Oxford University View ↗
3 Feb 2021 Mark Hewlett · NHS Test and Trace, Steve McManus · NHS Test and Trace, The Baroness Harding of Winscombe · National Institute for Health Protection View ↗
27 Jan 2021 Dr Richard Harling MBE · Staffordshire County Council, Greg Fell · Association of Directors of Public Health View ↗
13 Jan 2021 Antonia Williams · HM Treasury, Dr Mary Ramsay · UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Nadhim Zahawi · Department for Health and Social Care, Professor Wei Shen Lim · JCVI COVID-19 sub-committee, Sir Mene Pangalos · AstraZeneca, Tom Keith-Roach · AstraZeneca UK View ↗
3 Nov 2020 Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England · Department of Health and Social Care, Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser · UK Government, The Lord Patel KT · House of Lords View ↗
17 Sep 2020 Dr Susan Hopkins · UK Health Security Agency, Dr Thomas Waite · Department for Health and Social Care, Professor Carl Heneghan · University of Oxford, Professor Sylvia Richardson · Cambridge Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Simon Thompson · Royal Mail, The Baroness Harding of Winscombe · National Institute for Health Protection, The Lord Bethell · Department for Health and Social Care View ↗
21 Jul 2020 Rt Hon Matt Hancock · Department for Health and Social Care, Sir Chris Wormald · Department of Health and Social Care View ↗

Who gave evidence

95 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Adviser · Former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Governm… UK Government 4
Dr Susan Hopkins · Chief Medical Advisor UK Health Security Agency 3
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England Department of Health and Social Care 3
Dr James Rubin · Professor of Psychology & Emerging Health Risks Kings College London 2
Dr Mary Ramsay · Director of Public Health Programmes UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) 2
Dr Thomas Waite · Deputy Chief Medical Officer Department for Health and Social Care 2
Nadhim Zahawi · Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment Department for Health and Social Care 2
Professor Andrew Curran · Chief Scientific Adviser and Director of Research Health and Safety Executive 2
Professor Anthony Harnden · Deputy Chair Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation 2
Professor Graham Medley · Chair Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M). 2
Professor John Aston · Harding Professor of Statistics in Public Life University of Cambridge 2
Professor Mark Woolhouse OBE · Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology University of Edinburgh 2
Professor Sarah Gilbert · Professor of Vaccinology University of Oxford 2
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard · Chair Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation 2
Professor Sir John Bell · Regius Professor of Medicine Oxford University 2
Professor Wei Shen Lim · Chair JCVI COVID-19 sub-committee 2
Professor Wendy Barclay · Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Imperial College London 2
The Baroness Harding of Winscombe · Interim Executive Chair National Institute for Health Protection 2
Antonia Williams · Director of Public Services HM Treasury 1
Dame Kate Bingham · Chair (May-December 2020) UK Vaccine Taskforce 1
Dr Angelique Coetzee · Chair South African Medical Association 1
Dr Camilla Holten-Møller · Chair, the Expert Group for Mathematical Modelling Statens Serum Institut, Denmark 1
Dr Frank Atherton, Chief Medical Officer for Wales — 1
Dr Gregor Smith, Interim Chief Medical Officer for Scotland — 1
Dr Johanna Hutchinson · Director for Data and Data Science Joint Biosecurity Centre 1
Dr Jonathan Sheffield · COVID-19 Research Operations Director National Institute for Health Research 1
Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland — 1
Dr Nicholas Davies · Research Fellow in Mathematical Modelling London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 1
Dr Paul Burton · Chief Medical Officer Moderna 1
Dr Philip Dormitzer · Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Vi… Pfizer 1
Dr Raghib Ali · Senior Clinical Research Associate MRC Epidemiology Unit, the University of Cambridge 1
Dr Richard Harling MBE · Director of Health and Care Staffordshire County Council 1
Dr Ruth Payne · NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Spec… University of Sheffield 1
Dr Sarah Scobie · Deputy Director of Research Nuffield Trust 1
Dr Seon Kui Lee · Director, Division of Risk Assessment and Interna… Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) 1
Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis · Director Public Health Services, Israel 1
Ed Humpherson UK Statistics Authority 1
Greg Fell · President Association of Directors of Public Health 1
James Hetherington · Chief Data Science Adviser Joint Biosecurity Centre 1
Kate Bingham · Chair UK Vaccine Taskforce 1
Showing 40 of 95.

Correspondence

71 letters
DateDirectionTitle
23 Jun 2022 — Correspondence from Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Health and So…
26 May 2022 — Correspondence from the Chair to Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for …
20 May 2022 — Correspondence from Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Health and So…
27 Apr 2022 — Correspondence from the Chair to Rt Hon Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Hea…
17 Dec 2021 — Correspondence from Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Health and So…
21 May 2021 — Correspondence from Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation, Public Health England…
12 May 2021 — Correspondence from Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and S…
16 Mar 2021 — Correspondence from Baroness Harding to Chair regarding contact tracing in Scot…
2 Mar 2021 — Correspondence from Jeane Freeman MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, …
12 Feb 2021 — Correspondence from Professor Wei Shen Lim to the Chair relating to follow up e…
12 Feb 2021 — Correspondence from Baroness Harding to the Chair relating to the impact of Tes…
5 Feb 2021 — Correspondence from the Chair to Baroness Harding regarding follow up evidence
3 Feb 2021 — Correspondence from the Chair to Rt Hon Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for He…
20 Jan 2021 — Correspondence from Nadhim Zahawi MP, Minister for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment,…
13 Jan 2021 — Correspondence from Dr Clive Dix, Interim Chair UK Vaccine Taskforce, to the Ch…
23 Dec 2020 — Correspondence from the Chair to Dr Clive Dix, Interim Chair UK Vaccine Taskfor…
10 Dec 2020 — Correspondence from the Prime Minister to the Chairs of the Science & Technolog…
11 Nov 2020 — Correspondence from Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, …
4 Nov 2020 — Correspondence from the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP to the Chair regarding the Vaccin…
4 Nov 2020 — Correspondence from the Chair to Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP relating to the Vaccine …

Meetings & visits

2 items
DateTypeDetail
23 Dec 2020 Formal meeting — · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
15 Sep 2020 Formal meeting (private meeting) Private Meeting · Virtual meeting