6. Question No. 6—COVID-19 ResponseCHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 6—COVID-19 Response6. CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: When he said last week in question time in relation to the COVID-19 Surveillance and Testing Strategy Group report I did receive earlier drafts" how many unique draft versions of the report has his office received and on what dates were those drafts received?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): As I indicated in my response last week in the House my office was sent a copy on 30 September. I asked the review panel to go and consult with the Ministry of Health before the report was finalised and they did that. My office received the final report on 27 November. I also asked two members of the advisory committee to review the contact tracing performance during the August outbreak as an appendix to the group's main report and my office received that on 1 December.Chris Bishop: Why did he say last week that he'd received "drafts"—plural—of the report when in reality he just got sent a copy of the report on 28 September as he's just stated?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: If the member thinks that that's the big issue of the day then that's up to him but whether I used the word "draft" or "drafts" is really immaterial. I received a copy of the report on 30 September; I received the final report on 27 November.Chris Bishop: What has happened between 30 September when he first received a copy of the report and 27 November when he received the final copy of the report?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: A new Government has been sworn in.Chris Bishop: When he said last week in relation to the review panel "They made some recommendations around how the reporting and monitoring of the testing could be improved. Obviously people are affected by that;" is it fair to say that during that two-month interregnum he's just referred to the people affected by that have provided feedback on the report?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Yes that's certainly one of the things that's happened during that time.Chris Bishop: Does the Ministry of Health disagree with aspects of the report because the report identifies failings in the ministry?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The Ministry of Health did disagree with some aspects of the report. That is one of the reasons why I asked the review panel to go and consult with them. I think there's a natural justice process here—that's only fair that they have the opportunity to respond.Chris Bishop: Will he give a commitment to the House today that the report will be released before Christmas so that the public can see what failings in the Ministry of Health have been identified by the expert review panel that he and the Government appointed for that very reason?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I indicated to the member last week the report makes a number of recommendations some of which the Government's yet to consider. Some of them include budgetary matters. We will be looking to progress those as soon as possible but I won't put a particular time frame on that.Chris Bishop: Is he seriously saying to the House that a report commissioned by the Government under urgency at a time of grave national crisis to do with testing at the border that makes recommendations to improve failings—SPEAKER: Order! A question not a speech.Chris Bishop: —will not be released before Christmas?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I didn't necessarily say that. I say that I'm not putting a time frame on it. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Whichever member said that will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Dr Nick Smith: I stand—sorry—withdraw and apologise sir."