Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for testing rough sleepers for COVID-19 when they come in off the streets; and what funds they will provide for such work.

We are continuing to work with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to explore the case for testing rough sleepers for COVID-19 when they come in off the streets. However, following the expansion of testing, anyone with symptoms of coronavirus can now access a COVID-19 swab test, including those being moved into and currently in emergency accommodation. This will enable us to control the risk of outbreaks amongst this vulnerable group.

We continue to recognise the challenges that people experiencing rough sleeping face and we are working with local authorities to consider how we can improve access to testing for vulnerable groups.