To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the context of the growing number of cases of monkey pox in the UK, whether he plans to make a statement on (a) the nature of that disease, (b) how it is spread and (c) how to protect the public from transmission.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care updated Parliament through a Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS49) on 23 May 2022.

In the United Kingdom, the monkeypox virus is extremely rare and its detection in unlinked cases indicates community transmission. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will detect further cases via its expert diagnostic capabilities and is working with the National Health Service to ensure heightened vigilance among healthcare professionals. Monkeypox has low transmissibility and is only spread from person to person through direct contact, contact with clothing or linens used by an infected person, or potentially by close respiratory contact via coughing or sneezing by an infected individual. The risk of monkeypox to the public in the UK is very low.