1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: June 2021 1.2 NHS Test and Trace (NHST&T) is committed to transparency and to publishing data that is properly validated, meets the highest standards, and provides a meaningful gauge of its effectiveness. NHST&T publishes data across a wide range of business areas. 1.3 The total time taken to reach contacts after the ‘index case’ (the person who has tested positive) first reports symptoms and orders a test is a critical indicator. The government has begun publishing this in the weekly statistics for NHST&T (link below). The number of days for which people are asked to self-isolate depends on the time taken for the index case to report symptoms and book a test, the turnaround time for testing, and the time taken to identify and reach contacts. By June 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care (the department) will explore the quality of the data on this with a view to regular publication if acceptable. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been commissioned to gather information on compliance with self-isolation, but on a monthly basis, rather than weekly, because levels of compliance are unlikely to be volatile enough to need weekly tracking. ONS has begun publishing compliance data for those who have tested positive, and those who have been in contact with a positive case. 1.4 The time taken to reach contacts after the index case reporting symptoms is in the “data tables” document which can be accessed here (selecting the relevant week). 1.5 The department continues to evaluate the impact of the NHST&T service on infection levels. In February it published the Rὺm Model Technical Annex which estimated the effect of testing, tracing and self-isolation on the R number. The department is developing plans to publish estimates periodically in future, in line with the Committee’s recommendation.