Vaccine supply secrecy ‘no longer tenable’ as row erupts with EU
It is “no longer tenable” for the UK Government to expect the Scottish Government to remain quiet on vaccine supply figures, health secretary Jeane Freeman has said – as a new row over vaccine supplies erupted between the UK and the EU.
In what has been described as an “incredible act of hostility”, the EU has moved to prevent Northern Ireland from being used as a back door to funnel coronavirus vaccines into the rest of the UK, by placing export controls on the movement of vaccines between the EU an Northern Ireland.
It came after the Scottish Government said it would again begin regular publication of known supply figures from next week.
A vaccine deployment plan containing details of supply expected in future was published by the Scottish Government earlier this month, but was quickly taken down following UK ministers’ concerns over ‘sensitive’ data.
It is understood the UK Government feared that other countries may put pressure on vaccine manufacturers to divert doses away from the UK if it became known how many have been delivered to the country but have not yet been used.
But it is “not credible” for the UK Government to brief details of this supply to the media, as officials have done in recent weeks, but expect the Scottish Government to withhold the information, Ms Freeman said in the Coronavirus daily briefing on Friday. “The bottom line here is that the UK Government has repeatedly briefed key statistics on how much vaccine has been allocated and delivered to Scotland,” she said. “So it’s not credible for them one day to tell journalists… what these figures are and another day tell us that putting out these figures is a matter of national security. That circle really doesn’t square.
“We’ve held off publication in the past at their request but that’s no longer tenable.
"So the public have a right to clarity and we will give them that. We’re not talking about future supplies, we’re talking about known supplies – and I think that’s exactly the right thing for us to do.”
Ms Freeman was asked on Friday whether she had received any “panicked calls” from Westminster or any vaccine manufacturers about the plans to publish the data, to which she replied that she had not.
She added that she had discussed the move with officials across the four nations and had been supported by colleagues in Wales.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced plans to publish the figures during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.
Asked about her statement during his visit to Scotland on Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson raised “security” concerns over release of supply information. “We’re working together as one to make sure the whole country is supplied,” he said.
“Of course we're in favour of the maximum possible transparency that is compatible with security of supply. That's the crucial thing – we have to have national security of supply.”
The issue of vaccine supply has come into sharp focus amid a row between the EU and vaccine manufacturer Astrazeneca, with the EU accusing the firm of failing to meet contractual agreement to supply enough of the vaccine.
On Friday the EU triggered Article 16, a protocol contained in the Brexit withdrawal deal. Under the terms of the deal, goods should be able to move freely between the EU and Northern Ireland as the region remains in the single market for goods and still operates under EU customs rules.
The EU has triggered of the protocol to temporarily place export controls on this movement in respect of vaccines.
Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster branded the move an "incredible act of hostility". Ms Foster spoke with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove about the issue on Friday evening, and called for a "robust response" from the UK Government.
The Irish premier, Micheal Martin, is in discussions with European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen to express his concerns, according to an Irish government spokesperson.
Mrs Foster said: "By triggering Article 16 in this manner, the European Union has once again shown it is prepared to use Northern Ireland when it suits their interests but in the most despicable manner over the provision of a vaccine which is designed to save lives.
"At the first opportunity, the EU has placed a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over the supply chain of the coronavirus vaccine."
The regulation means Northern Ireland will be considered an export territory for the purposes of vaccines sent from the Eu/the Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland's vaccines arrive from there st of theuk at present so those will be unaffected.
The DUP leader added: "With the European Union using Article 16 in such an aggressive and most shameful way, it is now time for our Government to step up.
"I will be urging the Prime Minister to act and use robust measures including Article 16 to advance the interests of Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom."
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has told the EU the UK is "carefully considering" the next steps after the move.