BLACKBURN MP Kate Hollern has called for the government's test and trace scheme to be taken off private companies and given to council public health teams.

The Labour local government spokesman joined a sustained attack on outsourcing the work at Westminster.

She tackled Cabinet minister Michael Gove on the issue in the Commons after shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth warned MPs the current system using firms including Serco and Deloittes was not working.

He told health secretary Matt Hancock: "I believe ministers lost precious ground in fighting the virus by not having an effective test, trace and isolate regime in place by the end of the summer. Testing and tracing is key to controlling the virus.

It still takes 30 to 31 hours to turn around in-person tests, 75 hours for home test kits, and 88 hours for test results in the satellite test centres.

"We have learned that Deloitte, contracted by the government to help to run test and trace, is now trying to sell contact tracing services to local councils.

"Does it not once again show that directors of public health should be in charge of contact tracing?"

Mr Hancock replied: "We have record capacity, which has increased yet again this week.

"Deloitte has done an incredible job in helping us put together the contact tracing we have, and of course it should offer its services to local councils too."

Mrs Hollern then asked Mr Gove: "Given that today we have heard a number of very positive comments from ministers about the effectiveness and the quality - sorry, I am trying not to laugh here - of the delivery of test and trace by the private sector, are you aware of the recent survey that showed that 74 per cent of the public want those services delivered by local public health teams, which have proven to be far more effective in stopping the spread of the virus?"

Mr Gove replied: "The important thing is that, when it comes to the delivery of all public services, what is right is what works. We need to ensure that we have an effective mix of public sector and private sector delivery.

"We would not have been able to increase testing capacity to the current levels we have without the involvement of the private sector."

Mrs Hollern said afterwards: "Lucrative contracts for companies like Serco that are failing to run test and trace should be stopped.

"74 per cent of the public want local public health teams to run test and trace because they've proven more successful at tackling the virus.

"Gove's pre-prepared answer isn't good enough."