Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the evidence supporting the restriction of takeaway alcohol sales from pubs and licensed premises during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies considered the risks of transmission through different routes and environments in a paper which is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/933225/S0824_SARS-CoV-2_Transmission_routes_and_environments.pdf

The virus spreads readily in any environment where members of different households and/or support bubbles spend time together. Allowing alcohol purchases away from hospitality venues increases the risk that people will consume the alcohol nearby or congregate in public spaces. The advice has been clear that alcohol consumption is likely to hinder social distancing in any social interaction therefore, restricting sales during the November 2020 national restrictions mitigated the risk of transmission.