Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to include a full necessity and proportionality assessment in the 28 day reviews of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (England) 2020.

The Government is keeping its social distancing measures under continual review. If at any time we judge that one of the measures is no longer necessary to protect public health we are required by law to change that measure.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 came into force on 26 March and have been amended four times (21 April, 12 May, 31 May, and 12 June) to reflect technical changes and the outcomes of the three previous reviews (16 April, 7 May and 28 May). At each of these review points we have considered the necessity and proportionality of existing measures. The changes made with each amendment have been in relation to removing restrictions that are no longer considered proportionate or necessary, in light of the evolving situation. This is consistent with the approach taken for the review on 23 June which the Prime Minister outlined in an oral statement to the House on the same day, Official report, columns 1167-1170.