Armed forces ready to provide support

The armed forces “will do whatever is needed” to make sure the Covid-19 vaccine reaches every part of the UK, the defence secretary said.

Ben Wallace told the Commons that the armed forces are working “to help any one of the four nations”, while Defence Minister James Heappey confirmed 10,725 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been delivered to Gibraltar with plans for thousands more to reach other British overseas territories in the coming days.

During defence questions, Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) said: “Scotland is lagging badly behind when it comes to the rollout of the vaccine.

“What can our excellent armed forces do to sort this very worrying situation?”

Mr Wallace replied: “We as a United Kingdom armed forces are here to help and we will do whatever is needed to help any one of the four nations of the United Kingdom.

“The amazing thing about the United Kingdom, the most successful political union in history, is that we are here to help each other seamlessly.

“An 80-year-old in need of a vaccine in London has the same in common as an 80-year-old in need of a vaccine in Caithness.

“Our armed forces is all our armed forces and we won’t be playing petty nationalist politics in defeating this evil virus.”

Earlier, he said: “Defence is scoping the delivery of 65,850 further vaccine doses to Ascension Island, Gibraltar and the Falklands throughout February – and of course, we stand ready to support vaccine delivery to all of the British territories overseas.”