Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government has made on the expansion of a major anti-body testing programme since the update to the Government's Coronavirus (COVID-19): antibody tests guidance, published on 22 May 2020.

The Government believe a national antibody testing programme may provide a critical role in the next phase of this pandemic. We are already offering antibody tests to National Health Service and care staff in England, as well as patients and care residents at their clinician’s request. We are also using antibody tests to support research studies and support our understanding of how COVID-19 is spreading. We are developing a ‘finger prick’ antibody test that could be used at home and work is underway to ensure that any new type of testing is safe before being made available for use.