Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will extend access to the workplace testing scheme to all companies with 10 or more employees that are operating in the covid-19 vaccine supply chain.

NHS Test and Trace is coordinating the provision of free tests to all workers who cannot work from home across England. All organisations with workers in England unable to work from home can sign up for rapid workplace testing, including those still closed due to lockdown. They will need to register by 31 March and free tests will be provided until the end of June

All businesses in England can access lateral flow tests from Test and Trace to establish testing programmes on-site, for workers without symptoms. Companies can register for this service at the following link:

www.gov.uk/get-workplace-coronavirus-tests

All local authorities have also signed up to offer rapid lateral flow testing in the community through local asymptomatic test sites. Small businesses can direct workers to these test sites if they cannot offer rapid workplace testing on-site.