Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of awarding covid-19 test, track and trace contracts to local authorities before he awarded them to private sector companies.

We encourage all suppliers of goods and services to express an interest in Test and Trace work whether local authorities, the private sector or an individual. Test and Trace are continuing to increase market engagement as part of specifying and sourcing all goods and services, including engagement with local authorities.