Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the more transmissible strain of covid-19, if he will review the mandatory requirement for parents and guardians to send children to school in the case that someone in the household is extremely clinically vulnerable.

From Wednesday 6 January a new national lockdown came into effect. Schools should only allow vulnerable children and the children of critical workers to attend face to face education. All other pupils will learn remotely.

Parents will not be penalised for not sending their children to school during this period.