Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether high covid-19 risk residential care providers in (a) Brighton and Hove (b) other areas are receiving an uninterrupted supply of lateral flow tests from the DHSC Winter Plan supply stream; what recent discussions he has had with Deloitte on distribution of that supply stream; what steps are being taken to ensure that all care providers expecting lateral flow tests are receiving those tests on time; and if he will make a statement.

All residential adult social care settings, including those in Brighton and Hove, have access to routine COVID-19 testing through the National Testing Programme and all care homes and high-risk extra care and supported living settings have been provided with access to weekly polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and twice weekly lateral flow device (LFD) testing for staff and weekly PCR testing for residents. As of 1 February, these settings are able to replenish their stock by calling 119 or at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test-care-home