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• Question by: Siân Berry
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Siân Berry AM: Thank you for coming here, Minister. I have been looking at particularly the £23 million that was allocated by the Government to local authorities and charities last week on 25 January [2020]. This is money for the Community Champions to give vaccine advice and boost the take-up. Looking at the list, it seems that some of the boroughs within London who have not received money are some of the boroughs that have some of the highest populations of minority ethnic groups, in terms of numbers, and some of the most deprived boroughs. I can see Enfield, Croydon...

• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Minister, we know there is much concern over the so-called South African variant. My worry is that these concerns could lead to a noticeable decrease in vaccine take-up. At St George’s Hospital in Tooting yesterday, one in ten people did not turn up for their vaccine. Is this a trend you are noticing in London and what are you doing to assure the public that the vaccines are effective against this variant as well?

• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Andrew Boff AM: Minister, the Government approved the lifesaving vaccines in a record time, provided the resources for the NHS to start a vaccination programme that is the envy of the world, and is now on track to protect the most vulnerable millions, giving hope that families can be reunited and that life can get back to normal. Do you regret not following the advice of Sir Keir Starmer [MP, Leader of the Opposition] to remain part of the European Medical Agency?

• Question by: Lord Bailey of Paddington
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Shaun Bailey AM: Good morning, Minister, it is great to see you and thank you for your hard work. The Government has done a lot of work around combatting the spread of fake news, bad information, particularly in ethnic communities. Of course, in my own community I have seen a lot of very fake news being spread around, telling people not to take the vaccine and that it will impact their health negatively. You have done some good work on it. My question is: what more can be done, what other steps does the Government have planned and how can...

• Question by: Tony Devenish
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Tony Devenish AM: Thank you, Minister, for all the hard work you are doing. I would like to pay tribute to my two London boroughs, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and Westminster, for all the work they have been doing with you. My question is quite blunt, Minister. Will you work with the Mayor and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to make sure we prosecute the malicious anti-vaxxer propaganda that we are facing here in London?

• Question by: Leonie Cooper
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Léonie Cooper AM: Actually, Chair, sorry, I am just swapping with Dr Sahota because he has a couple of things that will run more smoothly if he takes them both together. Navin Shah AM (Chair): No problem at all. Thank you. Léonie Cooper AM: It is Assembly Member Cooper here. It is good to see you, Alderman Zahawi. I have sat in front of that sign for some time. My concern is, of course, about the new strains because Pollards Hill in Merton is one of the areas. We are obviously getting 10,000 tests done in a very local area...

• Question by: Onkar Sahota
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Minister, thank you for coming and joining us this morning. The success of any vaccination programme relies on the willingness of people to actually have the vaccine. When trust was lost on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine we knew that the uptake plummeted, and, as you know, we need to get over 80% of the population vaccinated to get herd immunity. You also know that trust is a social contract between two parties, in this case the Government and the people. While the people trust the scientists and the doctors, the Government has often...

• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Andrew Boff AM: Is it important to complete the JCVI priority list as is?

• Question by: Navin Shah and David Kurten
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Navin Shah AM (Chair): Thank you very much. Minister Zahawi, I know this morning already you had a very busy schedule. I have heard you on Leading Britain's Conversation (LBC), we have seen you on Sky [Network] Television (TV) and you are here this morning with us. I cannot thank you enough. May I just on behalf of the Assembly if you can spare another minute, ask you a question of reassurance that we are seeking on behalf of Londoners? That is: is London now receiving its fair share of COVID‑19 vaccinations and can we be confident that it will...

• Reference: 2023/1481
• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Is London now receiving its fair share of COVID-19 vaccinations and can we be confident that it will continue to do so over the coming months?