Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making the wearing of face coverings at nurseries compulsory.

Public Health England advises that for health and safety reasons, face coverings should not be used for children under three. In addition, misuse may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission and there may also be negative effects on communication and thus children’s development.

Children under the age of 11 are not required to wear a face covering. This is a practical recognition of the fact that it is difficult to get children of primary school age to wear a face covering properly for a prolonged period.