Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish the evidence underpinning the Government guidance dated 5 November 2020 on visiting care homes.

We have updated our guidance over time as our scientific understanding of the virus grows. We work with Public Health England, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) Social Care Sub-Group and other relevant bodies to closely monitor national and international evidence, to ensure best practice is reviewed and can be applied. SAGE publishes its papers routinely and are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies

We have also worked closely with a range of stakeholders who represent the sector to ensure that the recent guidance update encourages and enables care providers to facilitate visiting while keeping residents, staff and visitors as safe as possible.