Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the monthly cost of covid-19 lateral flow device testing for a person visiting a care home resident on a daily basis once mass free testing has ended.

While universal free provision of lateral flow device tests will end from 1 April 2022, it will continue to be maintained for symptomatic vulnerable individuals, particularly in health and care settings. The Government is considering eligibility for testing and will provide further information in due course. No specific assessment on the costs for those visiting a care home resident, care providers and their staff, and unpaid carers has been made.