Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the viability of allowing changes to childcare bubbles at shorter notice than the expiry of the minimum period in emergency situations.

If a household decides to change their childcare bubble, they should treat their previous bubble as a separate household for at least 10 days before forming a new bubble. This means following the general rules on meeting people from other households. The households should not provide childcare as if they are in a bubble during this period.

The 10 day minimum period is based on corresponding self-isolation guidance and the underlying scientific evidence and must be adhered to in order to mitigate the transmission risks associated with changing a childcare bubble.