Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his current policy is on the wearing of face coverings in his (a) Department, (b) departmental agencies and (c) related bodies during the covid-19 outbreak.

Defence policy is that personnel should adhere to all applicable UK Government and Devolved Administration guidance on the wearing of face coverings.

In a small number of settings it may not be possible to wear face coverings (e.g. where it would impair communications in safety critical environments) and in these cases risks assessments and other mitigating steps are undertaken to limit the potential spread of COVID-19.