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Dominic Raab Says 'Vaccine Passports' To Allow People Into Pubs And Supermarkets 'Not Ruled Out'

Dominic Raab Says 'Vaccine Passports' To Allow People Into Pubs And Supermarkets 'Not Ruled Out'

The government has previously said it wouldn't be introducing so-called 'vaccine passport' within the UK

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Dominic Raab has refused to rule out the use of so-called 'vaccine passports' to allow entry to supermarkets and pubs.

Just last week, the UK government appeared to shut down suggestions of a domestic 'passport' system.

But now, Foreign Secretary Raab has said they're 'under consideration'.

PA

Speaking on LBC's Swarbrick, Raab was asked whether vaccine passports would be required to get into pubs and supermarkets, to which he replied: "It is something that hasn't been ruled out. It is under consideration.

"But of course, you've got to make it workable."

He went on to say the 'modalities and mechanisms' of how people can show they've had the vaccine were currently being looked at by the government.

He added: "Whether it's at an international, domestic or local level, you've got to know that the document being presented is something that you can rely on and that it's an accurate reflection of the status of the individual.

"I'm not sure there's a fool-proof answer in the way that it's sometimes presented but of course we'll look at all the options."

PA

In an attempt to clarify what Raab said, aides told the Daily Mail that the Foreign Secretary had only been responding to a 'hypothetical' question and said that vaccine passports are being considered for international travel but 'are not being considered domestically'.

Raab's words seem to be in complete contradiction to comments made by Nadhim Zahawi, Minister for Business and Industry and Covid Vaccine Deployment, last week who said a state-issued document like this would be 'discriminatory'.

Asked by Sky News' Sophy Ridge if the government was considering the introduction of vaccine passports, Zahawi said: "No, we're not. One, we don't know the impact of the vaccines on transmission.

"Two, it would be discriminatory and I think the right thing to do is to make sure that people come forward to be vaccinated because they want to rather than it be made in some way mandatory through a passport.

"If other countries obviously require some form of proof, then you can ask your GP because your GP will hold your records and that will then be able to be used as your proof you've had the vaccine.

"But we are not planning to have a passport in the UK."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, Politics