Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his planned timescale is for reviewing guidelines on wearing face masks in educational settings during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Department has worked closely with Public Health England to develop a system of controls to reduce the risk of transmission in schools. This system of controls includes use of face coverings in schools in certain circumstances, as set out in our guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education/face-coverings-in-education. When implemented in line with a revised risk assessment, these measures create an inherently safer environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced.

At each stage of its response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government has listened to and acted on the latest medical and scientific advice. As the prevalence of the virus across the country and communities changes, the Government has always been clear that it will not hesitate to take swift and decisive action to control the virus and save lives.