Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has within its covid-19 roadmap to allow established couples who do not live in the same household and are not eligible to establish a support bubble to mix indoors.

Limiting mixing indoors, where the risk of transmission is much higher, is critical to halting the spread of the virus. Therefore, people will not be allowed to mix indoors with anyone they do not live with or have not formed a support bubble wit, until step three of the roadmap, which will come into force no earlier than 17 May. From step three, up to six people or two households will be able to meet indoors. However, couples can currently meet outdoors on a one to one basis for exercise and recreation.

The Government will keep this under review in keeping with its commitment to remove current restrictions based on the data.