Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using regional NHS Genetics Laboratories to increase covid-19 testing capacity.

Capacity in National Health Service laboratories is rapidly increasing, and available capacity is primarily used to test the patients and symptomatic staff who need a test, in line with the Department’s guidance. We operate through a localised system of NHS laboratories so that tests are available locally when needed.