Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence his Department received on the rate of covid-19 transmission in adult gaming centres (a) before 10pm and (b) between 10pm and 5am.

Experience from areas of local interventions where the curfew has implemented suggests it strikes the right balance, allowing businesses to trade for the majority of the evening while reducing the risk of non-compliance with social distancing measures and unnecessary contact with people you do not usually meet.

Early data also suggests that a significant proportion of exposure to the virus is seen in the hospitality sector, which is even more pronounced in younger age groups. We will continue to gather evidence and monitor the data. We have seen from Belgium how effective operating restrictions can be, where a marked decline in case numbers was seen after early closure measures were introduced.

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will conduct the reviews, following discussion with other Ministers and always guided by officials and experts, ensuring the measures continue to be both proportionate and necessary.