Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with (a) local authorities and (b) the Greater London Authority on HIV and HCV testing for homeless people during the covid-19 outbreak; and what plans he has to work with those bodies on that testing in the future.

No discussions have been had with local authorities or the Greater London Authority on HIV and HCV testing for homeless people during the covid-19 outbreak.

Local authorities and the Greater London Authority are responsible for assessing local needs and commissioning services for homeless people.

PHE also provides a range of data to local authorities which monitors national and local hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus testing and treatment activity and can inform local commissioning of services during the COVID-19 outbreak and into recovery, including for homeless people.