Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the scientific advice he has received on the proposed opening of schools to all pupils from 8 March 2021.

At every stage since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, decisions have been informed by the scientific and medical evidence, both on the risks of COVID-19 infection, transmission, and illness, and on the known risks to children and young people not attending school and college balancing public health and education considerations.

On 22 February 2021 the Department published 'Evidence summary: COVID-19 children, young people and education settings', which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963639/DfE_Evidence_summary_COVID-19_-_children__young_people_and_education_settings.pdf.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) also publish papers and minutes regularly following each SAGE meeting. The list of papers published are available by here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/scientific-evidence-supporting-the-government-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19.