Written questions, answers and statements

Coronavirus: Laboratories

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Question for Department of Health and Social Care

UIN 91165, tabled on 16 September 2020

Question

Darren Henry
Conservative
Broxtowe
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to use (a) universities, (b) businesses and (c) other private laboratories to increase covid-19 testing and lab capacity; and whether he has fast-tracked private medical laboratory accreditation for that purpose.

This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.

Answer

Helen Whately
Conservative
Faversham and Mid Kent
Commons

Answered on

26 November 2020

Pillar 2 uses Lighthouse laboratories and has partnership arrangements with public, private and academic sector laboratories. The United Kingdom’s daily COVID-19 testing capacity passed the 500,000 mark on 31 October. Testing capacity in the UK across all pillars between 29 October and 4 November was at 4,367,049 tests, an increase of 21% compared to the previous week.

Answered by

Department of Health and Social Care
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