Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide an update on implementing the recommendations from the Joint Committee on Human Rights report, The Government's Response to covid-19: Human rights implications, regarding care care home visits.

From 8^th March care homes will be supported to allow residents more meaningful visits. We will enable care homes to identify a single named repeat visitor for residents, and facilitate indoor visits with lateral flow testing and PPE.

We have acted to protect those most at risk in care homes and ensure visits can go ahead safely in some form. Visits to care homes can continue to take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not currently allowed. Visits in exceptional circumstances including end of life should always be supported and enabled.

We will be looking to ensure that a wider range of visiting arrangements are made available when it is safe to do so and publish updated guidance as this period of national lockdown ends.