Ian Gibson: call for transparency

US defence experts have questioned the UK government's decision to purchase a particular type of small-pox vaccine - suggesting the wrong kind of jabs were bought.

Dr Steve Prior, of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, claims that the "battle-strain" form of the jab is more effective in combating the disease than the Lister strain ordered by ministers.

The claim has revived the row about the tendering process used in awarding a multi-million pound contract to Powderject Pharmaceuticals.

The company is run by Labour Party donor Paul Drayson.

He has given £100,000 to Millbank, making a donation of £50,000 just weeks before the £32 million vaccine, contract for millions of jabs was signed.

The revelation brings fresh embarrassment to the government, which is already under investigation by the National Audit Office for failing to put the contract out to tender before awarding it to Powderject.

The report has prompted Dr Ian Gibson, the chairman of the science and technology committee, to call on ministers to release details of the scientific advice behind its decision to award the contract to Powderject.

"We ought to be able to make our minds up and assess it, and be confident that we will have immunity conferred on us by the vaccine," he said.

The Norwich MP and microbiologist says the reasons for the government's decision were "clouded in secrecy" - adding that "it's very hard to find out" why ministers took the decision they did.

"There is no scientific evidence I have seen that one strain is better than the other. The American strain is probably better trialed, but it's all shrouded in secrecy."

"You can shelter behind that for some time, but at the end of the day, there has to be openness and transparency in how these decisions are made," he told the BBC.

But Gibson's demand to know more is not motivated by the suspicion of "cash for favours".

"The decision could have been taken on 'rule Britannia' grounds that it's a British strain," he said.

The Department of Health says that the type of vaccine chosen was in line with common medical standards in Europe.

"Our decision to choose the Lister strain was taken with expert scientific and medical advice to the Department of Health, including that from the Ministry of Defence. The Lister strain is also the choice of our European partners," a spokesman said.

The Tories are calling for "a full independent enquiry into the whole sordid affair of the smallpox scandal".

Shadow health secretary, Dr Liam Fox, argues that if the vaccine is the "wrong" one then ministerial heads should roll.

"The public will wonder if there is any level of incompetence that warrants a sacking in Tony Blair's administration," he said.

"If reports are correct, that the government has purchased the wrong vaccine, then that is not only incompetence on a monumental scale but the fact that the contract was given to a middle man, who had given a huge donation to the Labour Party, only for the vaccine to be bought from a German company is a national scandal.

"If these allegations are true heads must roll if there is even a semblance of honour left in this government."

Lib Dems also believe that "there is a deeply unpleasant air about this whole affair."

The party's health spokesman Dr Evan Harris, backs calls for transparency and concerns over the manner in which the Powderject contract was allocated.

"The government seems unable to understand that the smallpox vaccine chosen is scientifically contentious," he said.

"The fact that it was bought from a company owned by a Labour donor only strengthens the need for the government to be open and transparent about the decision, and the reasons for it."

"It is very worrying that the advice has been kept secret and that, unlike in America, there was no tendering process in this instance."