We have stressed throughout our work examining the COVID-19 pandemic the importance of government learning lessons from its preparedness and response. In July 2021, we reported that the Government’s response to the pandemic had been least effective in areas that we have repeatedly reported on, including data quality and data sharing. We recommended that that lead departments for each of the main pandemic response programmes publish post-project evaluations in a timely manner.45 In March 2022, as part of our inquiry into government preparedness for the pandemic, we highlighted the critical role of international collaboration, including for mutual learning.46 In response the government said it was working to build on the UK’s existing international collaborations including strong bilateral and multilateral relationships, to drive greater and broader collaboration on the global stage.47