Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that (a) nurseries, (b) pre-schools and (c) other early years settings have access to covid-19 testing for staff.

We are continuing to work closely with other Government Departments and local authorities to secure the most effective approach to asymptomatic testing for the whole of the early year's sector.

This includes ongoing discussions about providing testing via the education testing programme as well as encouraging local authorities to consider prioritising appropriate testing for PVIs and childminders via the Community Testing Programme, which is being rolled out to all local authorities. Many local authorities’ community testing programmes are already underway for early years staff to access asymptomatic testing where appropriate.

We are rolling out our asymptomatic testing programme to primary schools, schools-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools who will receive testing kits for staff from 18 January. The asymptomatic testing programme will offer all primary school, schools-based nursery and maintained nursery school staff home Lateral Flow Device test kits for twice-weekly testing. This will help to break the chains of transmission of COVID-19 in schools and nurseries by identifying asymptomatic positive cases. Those who test positive will then self-isolate, helping to reduce transmission of COVID-19.