Policy paper

Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and First Ministers COBR Meeting Communiqué: 15 December 2021

Updated 22 December 2021

This communiqué summarises the COBR meeting chaired by the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations on Wednesday 15 December; the meeting took place via video conference.

He also chaired ministerial meetings on 1, 8, 10 and 12 December to discuss the Omicron Covid variant.

The attending ministers were:

For the UK government:

  • Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP
  • Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rt Hon Simon Clarke MP
  • Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Vaccines and Public Health, Maggie Throup MP
  • Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, Baroness Vere
  • Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP
  • Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Jo Churchill MP
  • Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey MP
  • Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt Hon Alister Jack MP
  • Secretary of State for Wales, Rt Hon Simon Hart MP
  • Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP

For the Scottish Government:

  • First Minister of Scotland, Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP

For the Welsh Government:

  • First Minister of Wales, Rt Hon Mark Drakeford MS

For the Northern Ireland Executive:

  • First Minister of Northern Ireland, Paul Givan MLA
  • deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill MLA
  • Minister of Health, Robin Swann MLA

The group discussed the UK-wide response to the new Covid variant, including the booster vaccine campaign and financial support for measures.