Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to continue to fund local covid-19 contact tracing services beyond March 2022; and if he will make a statement.

Over £2.1 billion has been provided to local authorities through the Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF), with £400 million allocated in 2021/22. We continue to work with local authorities to ensure that the COMF delivers the objectives of Local Outbreak Management Plans. Specific public health activities funded from the COMF are determined by local authorities in conjunction with Directors of Public Health.

No decision has yet been on made on the continuation of the COMF and discussions on COVID-19 funding for local authorities are ongoing. In December 2021 we confirmed that unspent funds from the COMF can be carried forward into 2022/23.