Raab plays down absence of advisers at recent Downing Street media briefings
THE Foreign Secretary has said the Government’s medical and scientific advisers will continue to take part in its televised coronavirus briefings, but “perhaps not on a daily basis”.
Dominic Raab’s comments came in response to questioning during yesterday’s Downing Street briefing over why weekly appearances by experts have reduced this month.
Earlier a spokesman for the Prime Minister insisted there was not an issue in the Government’s relations with scientists.
It followed reports that chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s chief scientific adviser, were on
“resignation watch”. Both men made their second appearance at a Downing Street briefing this month alongside Boris Johnson last Wednesday, but other experts have not appeared in June.
Deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-tam last appeared at a briefing on May 30, while Dr Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, last attended on May 31.
Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, has attended a briefing once in June so far after appearing eight times in May.
Appearing alone at yesterday’s briefing, Mr Raab said: “Scientists and the chief and deputy medical officers will continue to come and attend these Press conferences. I think it is also true to say that as we go down the roadmap and start to talk about the changes we are making, we will also bring other independent experts along.”
After it was put to him that there were some questions that medical experts would be more equipped to answer than ministers, Mr Raab added: “Well, you haven’t tried me on a question I can’t answer yet, but I am happy to be proved wrong.
“Look, you are right to say the scientists and the medical adviser are important.
“They will continue to attend these Press conferences, perhaps not on a daily basis — they’ve got a huge amount of other work to do — and undoubtedly the politicians need to answer the judgment calls we make based on the evolving science.”