Freedom of Information request on suppliers of ingredients for COVID-19 vaccines (FOI 21/934)
Published 17 January 2022
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-responses-from-the-mhra-week-commencing-13-september-2021/freedom-of-information-request-on-suppliers-of-ingredients-for-covid-19-vaccines-foi-21934
16th September 2021
FOI 21/934
Dear
Regarding your email of 16 August 2021, the suppliers of the ingredients you have listed in your email are exempt from release under Section 41 and Section 43 of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
Section 41 is an absolute exemption and no consideration of the public interest is required, except to state that we consider its disclosure to constitute an actionable breach of confidence.
Section 43 is a qualified exemption and a consideration of the public interest should be made. We have considered the public interest and cannot see any public interest argument that outweighs the commercial harm in providing details of where ingredients/excipients are sourced, which can be used by competitors to source their own excipients for a rival product. Examples of public interest arguments would be a major public health risk or a major procedural failure or irregularity.
Regarding your enquiry concerning checks performed on the content and quality of ingredients/excipients, all ingredients/excipients used in a medicinal product are checked to ensure that they are of a suitable content and quality by sites that are authorised to do so. These sites have will have been inspected to ensure that they comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
If you have a query about the information provided, please reply to this email.
We now consider this request closed.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date you receive this response and addressed to: info@mhra.gov.uk.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, we are not able to accept delivery of any documents or correspondence by post or courier to any of our offices.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you were to remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the internal review, you would have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Please bear in mind that the Information Commissioner will not normally review our handling of your request unless you have first contacted us to conduct an internal review. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely
MHRA Customer Service Centre