Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of holidaymakers taking an initial covid-19 lateral flow test before flying and only requiring a PCR test in the event that the first test returns a positive or inconclusive result.

Holidaymakers are able to use a lateral flow test for pre-departure testing before travel to England as long as it meets the minimum performance standards. Testing post-arrival remains an important tool in our wider measures to manage the risk of imported cases of Covid-19, as well as allowing us to identify variants of concern. We are exploring options to reduce the cost of testing, including cheaper tests being used when holidaymakers return home and whether the Government would be able to provide pre-departure tests.