Oral Answers to Questions

Judith Cummins Excerpts

Tuesday 6th October 2020 Commons Chamber

[Owen Thompson (Midlothian) (SNP)]

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of lockdown restrictions on limiting the second wave of covid-19.

[Judith Cummins (Bradford South) (Lab)]

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local restrictions on reducing the transmission of covid-19.

[The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Matt Hancock)]

I chair the Government’s local action gold committee, which considers the latest data and advice from experts, including epidemiologists and the chief medical officer, and the Joint Biosecurity Centre. Through this process, we consult local leaders and directors of public health. We have seen local actions in some parts of the country bring the case rate right down and we need to make sure that we are constantly vigilant to what needs to happen to suppress this virus.

--- Later in debate ---

[Matt Hancock]

I discuss these matters with the Cabinet Secretary and other colleagues across government all the time, and I also speak regularly to the Mayor of London. We maintain vigilance over the transmission of the virus right across the country.

[Judith Cummins]

Can the Secretary of State answer a very simple question: what rate of infection means that a local authority needs to go into local restrictions and what rate means that it can leave them? Of course I accept that there will sometimes be very specific circumstances, such as workplace outbreaks, that would need to be considered, but surely it is not beyond his level of competence to do both, because my constituents deserve to know when they can see their families.

[Matt Hancock]

Of course the hon. Member’s constituents and all those who are under local action restrictions yearn to see their families. We all yearn to be able to get back to the normal socialising that makes life worth living, but I am afraid that the answer to her question is in the question: because of specific local circumstances, such as outbreaks in a workplace or a halls of residence, it is not possible to put a specific number on the point at which a judgment is made to put in place local restrictions, which we do in consultation with the council, or to take an area out of them.