UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 4 report: Scottish Government response

Recommendation 1 – Establish a pharmaceutical expert advisory panel

Chair’s recommendation:

The UK Government should establish a standing pharmaceutical expert advisory panel, in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

The panel should include ministers, civil servants and representatives from industry and academia, and be led by an independent Chair with experience of working in a relevant industry. The panel’s role should be to:

• Oversee the UK’s preparedness to develop, procure and manufacture pharmaceuticals (vaccines and therapeutics) in the event of a pandemic or health emergency, assisting with cross-government strategy development;
• Ensure that the UK Government and devolved administrations, their agencies, industry and academia are aligned around shared goals in developing vaccines and therapeutics for pandemic diseases;
• Oversee strong links between government and the pharmaceutical industry;
• Advise the UK Government on how to incentivise pharmaceutical companies to invest in manufacturing facilities and research in the UK; and
• Advise the UK Government on its research investments, with a view to ensuring a diverse portfolio of pharmaceutical research in the UK.

During a pandemic, the panel should form the basis of specialist taskforces, which would be responsible for securing and developing medical interventions and leading on their procurement on behalf of the four nations of the UK. They should have sufficient autonomy, delegation and direct access to senior ministers, similar to that which worked well in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scottish Government response:

The Scottish Government recognises that this recommendation is directed to the UK Government to implement. The Scottish Government agrees with the Inquiry that there is value in close collaboration with academia and the life sciences sector. However we would want to be reassured that its functions do not erode devolved responsibilities, duplicate the efforts of other established and existing mechanisms or responsibilities of other central government departments.

The Scottish Government supports ongoing collaboration between the four nations to ensure a structured forum for discussion and collaboration between the UK Government, the Devolved Governments, industry and academia to align priorities, strengthen coordination and support informed decision-making. While recognising that each nation operates within its own health system, the Scottish Government agrees that there is value in pursuing greater consistency where appropriate to support collective learning and pandemic preparedness.

The Scottish Government understands that since the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK Government has established a range of strategies, governance arrangements, and capability-building initiatives to strengthen preparedness for future health emergencies. This includes regular engagement with the life sciences sector and academia. Putting in place clear arrangements on how the practical delivery of these strategies and initiatives will be monitored going forward is important.

The Scottish Government will work with the UK and other Devolved Governments to ensure that Scotland's distinct perspectives, priorities and expertise are fully represented and heard in the development of future medical countermeasures policy. Reflecting the strong views of Scottish stakeholders, including members of the Covid-19 Recovery and Engagement Group (CIREG), the Scottish Government will seek to ensure that expertise from Scottish academia and the life sciences sector not only informs but, where appropriate, leads and shapes actions to strengthen the UK's ability to develop, manufacture, and procure medical countermeasures rapidly in response to future health emergencies.