Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what impact assessments his Department has undertaken on the potential effect on covid-19 transmission of the removal of rules on the mandatory wearing of face coverings on public transport; and if he will publish those assessments.

The Social Distancing Review: Report was published on 5 July. The Review considered a range of evidence related to social distancing, face coverings and 'work from home' guidance: scientific, social, economic and behavioural. The policies of international comparators were also considered.

As outlined in the Prime Minister's speech, the UK has made huge progress this year, the deployment of vaccines by the National Health Service (NHS) has put the UK in a strong position to ease restrictions. The Government has continued to be led by data and will only move to step 4 subject to meeting the four tests.