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 the potential merits of requiring the Office for National Statistics to continue to publish covid-19 data.

The COVID-19 Infection Survey has provided vital information to inform critical Government decisions across the United Kingdom. This has shaped the response to the pandemic and made a great difference to our understanding of COVID-19.

As we have transitioned into Living with COVID-19 the approach to COVID-19 surveillance is being actively reviewed to ensure it is proportionate, cost effective and considered alongside how we monitor a range of other infectious diseases that present a similar threat.

The UK Health Security Agency will continue to publish regular reports on COVID-19 which will contribute to our situational awareness, these include our weekly surveillance reports, which provide data on infection rates and hospitalisation numbers. We also maintain the ability to track the latest variants through our genomics capabilities which assess the risks posed by different strains of the virus.