PCR test providers will be removed from the Government’s list of approved suppliers if they don’t offer the service they have promised, the Health Secretary has said.

Sajid Javid made the commitment in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon, where he updated MPs on the new COVID variant Omicron.

He was responding in the Commons to Huw Merriman, Chair of the Transport Select Committee, who asked the Minister to ensure PCR providers ‘give accurate and good value testing so that we will not see some of the issues that rose over the summer’.

In August, Mr Javid stepped in after accusing some testing companies on the Government-approved list of ‘acting like cowboys’, failing to deliver an adequate service and charging extortionated costs.

The Health Secretary said Mr Merriman had raised a ‘very important point’ and promised: “We do want to minimise any impact on our excellent transport and travel sectors.

“It’s important to make sure PCR tests are available and pricing is correct.”

He promised that any company on the Government-approved list of PCR providers that ‘breaks the rules’ will be ‘delisted’.