Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the transmission of covid-19 of making tests available for all returning students to universities; and what assessment he has made of the consequences for best practice testing policy for returning students of the most recently-released data on the proportion of returning students who have tested positive for covid-19 and who were asymptomatic; and if he will make a statement.

Universities are providing asymptomatic testing to students and staff upon return to campus. Regular ongoing lateral flow device testing was introduced for eligible university students and staff from 25 January. This involves twice weekly testing for those who are asymptomatic.