To ask Her Majesty's Government with what frequency they plan to publish a national figure for R, the reproduction index for the COVID-19 virus; whether they plan to publish regularly a value for the R figure by geographic area; and whether they plan to publish regularly a value for the R figure for different demographic groups. [T]

The Government Office for Science currently publishes the latest estimate of the United Kingdom-wide range for R on a weekly basis. The current range is estimated to be 0.7-1.0 and is based on latest data available to determine infection and transmission rates. R is an average value that can vary in different parts of the country, communities, and subsections of the population. It cannot be measured directly so there is always some uncertainty around its exact value.

The Government is committed to publishing the scientific evidence that has informed the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies advice. These papers are being published in batches. The latest batches were released on 20 March 2020 and 5 May 2020 and the next batch will published in the coming weeks. The full list of papers released to date is available in an online only format on GOV.UK. This list will be updated to reflect papers considered at recent and future meetings.