Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will place in the Library a copy of the relevant scientific advice upon which the current shielding guidance for the clinically vulnerable is based.

The scientific advice supporting the original Government policy on shielding is contained in the minutes published by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies on 10 March 2020 and is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/sage-minutes-coronavirus-covid-19-response-10-march-2020.

A copy is also attached.

As our understanding of the virus increases, the Government continues to review the emerging evidence. We will continue to listen to our medical advisers on the level of clinical risk the virus presents to different groups of people at different points in time.

At each review point for the social distancing measures, we will also review the risks for the clinically extremely vulnerable and assess whether the shielding period needs to be extended or whether it is possible for the shielding guidance to be eased further. We will base our assessment on clinical advice from our medical experts, and the best data available about the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.