Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse was of purchasing covid-19 antibody tests.

The results from the first evaluation of antibody tests have shown that, of the tests the Government has looked at so far, none have proven accurate enough to be rolled out for public use. The Government is therefore in the very early stages of negotiation with suppliers who received prepayment, in order to cancel orders. To date, the Government has cancelled orders, with no liability to the Government, totalling £70 million in value. Negotiations are ongoing with other suppliers.