Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the quarantine of oil and gas workers, whether the quarantine exemption for people who are required for the continued safe and secure operation, maintenance and essential support services for offshore oil and gas infrastructure in the UK applies to workers (a) entering the UK to operate on infrastructure domestically, or (b) returning to the UK having conducted the same commercial activities in other EEA nations.

In line with many other countries, the Government has introduced a series of measures and restrictions at the UK border which are supported by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, to contribute to keeping the overall number of transmissions in the UK as low as possible. These measures came into effect on 8 June. A small proportion of people required to maintain essential supply chains, critical national infrastructure or to contribute to the crisis response have been made exempt from the requirement to self-isolate. Offshore workers undertaking, or required to commence, activities in the UK and on the UK Continental Shelf on or in relation to offshore installations, upstream petroleum infrastructure, critical safety work on offshore installations and wells that are being decommissioned or which are being preserved pending demolition or reuse or activities for the provision of workers, goods, materials or equipment or other essential services required to support the safe operation of offshore work have been exempted from these measures. Offshore workers entering the UK who are required to undertake those activities in the UK or on the UK Continental Shelf are covered by the exemption. Those travelling overseas to work on infrastructure outside of the UK will not be exempt on their return to the UK, unless they will be conducting the specified activities in the UK or on the UK Continental Shelf within 14 days of their return.

These measures will be subject to review every three weeks.