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 effect of levels of technological literacy amongst high-risk older population on the use of the covid-19 tracing app.

We will always comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty, which considers the impact of a policy or decision on groups with protected characteristics, and we have carried out an Equality and Health Impact Assessment.

We are working hard to ensure alignment between the app and traditional contact tracing measures so that they complement each other and work together to protect vulnerable groups, including those who are unable or do not wish to use digital tools.

We have carried out many rounds of user research and testing throughout the development of the app, with people of different ages, genders, ethnicities, socio-economic status, and digital skills, to ensure it meets the needs of different groups.