Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2020 to Question 49643 on Joint Biosecurity Centre: Staff and the Answer of 8 June to Question 49644 on Joint Biosecurity Centre, what progress he has made on the (a) establishment, (b) funding and (c) staffing of the new Joint Biosecurity Centre.
The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) announced the appointment of its Director General Claire Gardiner on 5 June and is an integral part of the Test and Trace Service in the Department. It engages with a wide range of partners and stakeholders, including other Government departments. Like the wider Test and Trace Service, we will be as transparent as possible in our work and, wherever we can, will publish our delivery figures and publications. Staffing levels currently stand at just under 200 people.