Committees

Minister questioned on vaccine controversy

8 February 2021

Several key aspects of the UK’s relationship with the EU – including some which recently gave rise to controversy over the movement of Covid-19 vaccines – are to be aired when the European Scrutiny Committee questions Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Witnesses

Monday 8 February 2021, virtual meeting

At 2.45pm

  • Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office
  • Brendan Threlfall, Director of the Transition Taskforce Northern Ireland
  • Emma Churchill, Director-General of the Border and Protocol Delivery Group
  • Jessica Glover, Director-General of the Transition Taskforce

As Minister for the Cabinet Office, Mr Gove has, among other responsibilities, oversight of transition period activities and future relations with the EU.

Mr Gove may be questioned in a number of areas, including but not restricted to:

  • The recent attempt by the EU, later withdrawn, to invoke part of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to the Withdrawal Agreement – which could have limited the importing of Covid-19 vaccines into Northern Ireland and the wider UK.
  • The deadline for acquiring residence/settled status for EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU – it has been suggested that if significant numbers of EU care workers resident in the UK wished to apply, but failed to beat the deadline, it could devastate the care sector.
  • The length of grace periods that have been given to some businesses to give them time to adapt to new arrangements – these apply, for example, to some food products shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and shortages have already been reported by supermarkets in Northern Ireland.
  • Deadlines on the implementation of new rules relating to financial services, data protection and rules of origin.

Further information

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