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 effect of the UK leaving the UK on the (a) ability of and (b) speed with which testing kits for covid-19 can be imported.

We are not aware of any restrictions to the access to or delivery of COVID-19 testing kits relating to the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union.

Following the UK’s departure from the EU on 31 January 2020, the UK has entered into a transition period until December 2020. Under this arrangement, the supply of medicines and medical products, including testing kits for COVID-19, should continue to flow as previously.

The Government is in negotiation with the EU regarding our future relationship and will work with companies over the coming months to ensure that they are well prepared for the end of the transition period. Following this process, medicines and medical products should continue to enter and exit the UK with minimal restrictions.