Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of allowing those unable to use swab based-covid tests to use LAMP tests.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is currently trialling the use of direct LAMP for individuals with special educational needs and disabilities in a small number of restricted pilots. It is also being considered for other appropriate settings. In addition, the UKHSA is undertaking a review into alternatives to swab-based testing including all saliva-based options and other emerging technologies, in all vulnerable settings and populations.