Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Minister of State for Social Care's Answer to the Question from the hon. Member for South Shields at Health and Social Care questions on 6 December 2022, Official Report, column 203, when the updated guidance for the social care sector on the use of face masks will be published.

As of 15 December 2022, adult social care guidance has been amended to support a risk-based approach to mask wearing. This has replaced previous guidance that stated face masks should be worn at all times across adult social care.