Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to develop a national COVID-19 test and tracing system; how that system will operate; how that system will be held accountable for its work; and what will be the role of local Directors of Public Health and related professionals.

We are developing a new test and trace programme which will bring together an app, expanded web and phone-based contact tracing, and swab testing for those with potential COVID-19 symptoms.

If someone installs the National Health Service COVID-19 app, it will start logging the distance between their phone and other phones nearby that also have the app installed. It measures this distance using a form of Bluetooth that is less energy hungry than normal Bluetooth. This log of proximity information will be stored securely on the person’s phone. If a person becomes unwell with symptoms of COVID-19, they can report this to the NHS via the app which will mean that other app users who have come into significant contact with that person over the previous few days can be alerted and provided with advice if appropriate.

The first phase of the app rollout is taking place on the Isle of Wight. This will ensure the app is functioning as expected and will help us to see how it works best alongside the web and phone-based systems and to ensure that it dovetails with the testing programme.

Ministers are accountable to Parliament for the Department’s response to COVID-19, including the test and trace programme.

Directors of Public Health and their teams will be key to the local delivery of the test and trace programme.