Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has for the reintroduction of (a) free covid-19 testing and (b) social distancing guidance in the event that the number of hospital admissions due to covid-19 increase.

We will retain the capacity to reintroduce mass testing in the event that a dangerous variant of concern emerges. There are no plans to reintroduce social distancing guidance. The Government would only consider implementing restrictions in extreme circumstances to prevent unsustainable pressure on the National Health Service and excessive mortality.