Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the decision of the Office for National Statistics to end updates to its Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights publications as of 24 March 2023.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will continue to publish regular reports on COVID-19 which will contribute to our situational awareness. These include weekly surveillance reports, which provide data on infection rates and hospitalisation numbers. UKHSA also maintains the ability to track the latest variants through its genomics capabilities, which assess the risks posed by different strains of the virus.

The approach to COVID-19 surveillance is being actively reviewed to ensure it is proportionate, cost effective and considered alongside how we monitor a range of other infectious diseases that present a similar threat.