Oral Answers to Questions

Lilian Greenwood Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)]

What steps his Department is taking to support local authority covid-19 test and trace services.

[Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South) (Lab)]

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the NHS test and trace service.

[Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con)]

What progress his Department has made on the establishment of a test and trace service for covid-19.

--- Later in debate ---

[Matt Hancock]

The amount of data flowing to local authorities has increased substantially over the past few weeks since the start of the operation at the end of last month, and there will be more coming very, very soon.

[Lilian Greenwood]

We all want to see lockdown eased, but that reopening will only be safe if the system to test, trace and isolate is working effectively. As more people return to work, start to travel on public transport, and perhaps even go to pubs, cafés and hairdressers—albeit keeping their distance—the ability to trace contact people we do not know will become much more important. The Secretary of State initially said that the app would be rolled out in mid-May; it is now the end of June. When are we actually going to see the app in action?

[Matt Hancock]

Obviously, as soon as possible. I agree very strongly with the hon. Lady about the importance of contact tracing—the Test and Trace programme is one of the largest of its kind—to ensure that, as we manage to lift national measures, which we can because the disease is clearly under control and the number of cases is coming down, we can then respond through local action.