Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has for the long-term use of NHS covid-19 testing capacity when the outbreak is over.

On 18 August, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced the establishment of a new organisation to provide a world-leading approach to public health protection and resilience. The National Institute for Health Protection brings together the health protection expertise of Public Health England (PHE), Joint Biosecurity Centre and National Health Service Test and Trace under unified leadership. It will start work immediately to boost the United Kingdom’s ability to deal with COVID-19 and meet health challenges of the coming winter.

Preventing ill-health and reducing health inequalities remains one of our top priorities. The Department has established a senior Stakeholder Advisory Group to help identify and consider the right future for PHE’s important wider work.