Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his department has to (a) maintain recurrent investment in health security infrastructure and (b) ensure the continuation of the innovative Integrated Covid Hub North East.

Work is underway to determine specific investment in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 health security activities. Future funding will be considered as part of wider decisions on prioritisation of health security spending. However, many of the services provided by the Hub will cease in common with other testing and tracing services. The UK Health Security Agency’s regional teams will work with the Hub to consider its role in future health surveillance.