Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the lowest number is of positive covid-19 cases which an area must have per 100,000 of their population before moving from tier 3 to tier 2 restrictions.

We do not make decisions on restrictions based purely on the case rate per 100,000 of population. Decisions on tiers are made by Ministers based on public health recommendations from senior clinical and scientific advisors, guided by five key indicators; the case detection rate in all age groups; case detection rates among the over 60 year olds; the rate at which case rates are rising or falling; the positivity rate; and pressures on the National Health Service. Final decisions on tiering are made by the COVID-19 Operations Committee.