Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Rule of Six restriction on social contact that will come into place on 29 March 2021, as part of the easing of covid-19 restrictions, includes infants and children.

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021, the ‘rule of six’ will apply to children of all ages. In recognition of the need for greater flexibility for families, the Regulations provide for people to meet outdoors in a group larger than six people if everyone present is from the same two households.

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