Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of not extending the Test and Trace Support Payment to low-income parents or guardians of children who have been identified by their school as being in close contact with someone who has tested positive for covid-19.

The Government keeps all elements of its COVID-19 response under review, including the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme. We continue to listen to feedback from charities and support groups. We are working closely with the 314 local authorities in England to monitor the effectiveness of the scheme, including the potential impact on groups who are ineligible to claim.