Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what covid-19 related powers local authorities will retain after 19 July 2021 to manage any further covid-19 outbreaks; and if he will set out which of those retained powers local authorities will (a) exercise directly and (b) need to gain authority from Government before use.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 were extended from 18 July to 27 September.

The Regulations provide powers for local authorities to issue directions to place restrictions on or close businesses, events, and public outdoor places where they assess there is a serious and imminent threat to public health posed by COVID-19. We will keep these measures under continuous review to ensure that they are proportionate as part of the public health response to COVID-19. Local authorities must notify the Secretary of State when the powers are used but do not require authority from Government before use, with the exception of those related to ‘essential infrastructure’.