Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to collect accurate data on covid-19 cases following 11 January 2021 when confirmatory PCR tests for positive lateral flow tests will temporarily be suspended.

Data will be reported based on lateral flow device (LFD) test results and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results from those still required to do so and those who will choose to take a PCR test. Contact tracing will be initiated based on LFD and PCR test results.

We continue to encourage people to report their LFD results through the usual channels. Negative test results enable us to understand the prevalence of COVID-19, while positive test results allow us to provide the correct advice to individuals affected and their close contacts to prevent onward transmission.