Oral Answers to Questions

Scott Benton Excerpts

Tuesday 17th November 2020 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to increase covid-19 testing capacity.

[Damian Hinds (East Hampshire) (Con)]

What steps his Department is taking to increase covid-19 testing capacity.

[The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Matt Hancock)]

We are processing coronavirus tests on an unprecedented scale and expanding capacity further, having already met our testing capacity target of 500,000 tests a day by the end of October. We now have five Lighthouse labs operating across the UK, with two more announced yesterday, and significant progress on next-generation testing technologies.

[Scott Benton]

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the tremendous progress he has made over recent months on increasing our testing capacity, including the delivery of a new site in my constituency. The recent announcement regarding care homes is welcome. How quickly does he think the trial process can be concluded, so that we can roll out a nationwide scheme to ensure that those in care homes can finally see their loved ones again?

[Matt Hancock]

We have discussed many times in this House the importance of the use of testing because of the terrible dilemma of wanting to keep people safe in care homes, yet also wanting to allow visiting. Testing can help to resolve that. The pilots are ongoing in some parts of the country, and I very much hope that we can get to a position where we can offer testing to enable visiting across the country before Christmas