John Spellar, a former Labour minister, said that the Government was risking the nation’s health by failing to invest in domestic production of the vaccines.

Experts echoed his concern that foreign governments may not allow vital medicines to leave their soil in the event of a pandemic until their own populations have been treated, regardless of contracts between Britain and pharmaceutical companies based within their borders.

The head of a major drug company also raised the prospect of panic around manufacturing plants if a pandemic did take hold.

The global vaccine industry currently has the capacity to produce about 350 million doses a year, enough for just a fraction of the world’s population. Without physical control over its own supplies, Britain may be too far down the queue to get them in time, it is argued.

So far Britain has ordered 3.3 million doses of anti-H5N1 vaccines from two companies based in Italy and the Czech Republic. These could be used to give key workers some protection, but a vaccine that would immunise the population cannot be produced until that specific virus strain emerges. The Government has invited companies to tender for a contract to produce up to 120 million doses of pandemic flu vaccine once the strain is known.

These would not be ready in time to counteract the first wave of disease, during which most countries will be reliant on antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu, but a rapidly delivered vaccine could save thousands of lives during a second wave.

A Department of Health spokeswoman declined to give details of where these pandemic vaccines might be produced, or what safeguards the Government would seek to ensure that any vaccines produced overseas did reach Britain. Health ministers have previously said that European Union rules prevent the Government from specifying a preference for British manufacture.

The Novartis plant on Merseyside is the only commercial manufacturer of flu vaccine Britain. It is expected to produce about 30 million to 40 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine this year, much of which will go to the US.

John Wood, a leading virologist at the National Institute of Biological Standards and Control, said that he would like to see Britain’s pandemic strain vaccines manufactured in Britain, but that work must be done to ensure that this was also the best vaccine available.

“It is a much more controllable situation,” he said. “It would be best to have a home-grown vaccine which was of good enough quality. When there are international emergencies then countries take emergency measures and we really don’t know what implications that has for vaccine supply.”

Mr Spellar said that the decision to award the H5N1 contract to foreign manufacturers had removed one early incentive to increase capacity and quality within Britain, and that the Government must use its purchasing power. He said: “It must link its advance purchase agreement to the provision of capacity in this country, to ensure security of supply. There are ways to do this, despite EU rules.

“The Government must invest in capacity itself if necessary. There will not be enough vaccines worldwide and the idea that one country would allow them to move out to another country, contract or no contract, is laughable.”

Last month, the chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical manufacturer, raised the prospect of a chaotic scramble for drugs if a pandemic took hold, and the possibility of troops being deployed to protect GSK plants.

Jean-Pierre Garnier said: “People don’t realise the disorder that comes from a scary event such as a true pandemic. There will be panic episodes.”

GlaxoSmithKline manufactures its vaccines in Germany and Canada, and is one of several companies which has bid for a Government contract.

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