Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to put in place to help protect clinically extremely vulnerable parents from covid-19 infection from the beginning of the autumn term when children return to school.

Shielding was paused on 1 April 2021, and on 19 July 2021 people previously identified as clinically extremely vulnerable were advised to follow the same guidance as the rest of the population.

All nurseries, schools and colleges are continuing to put measures in place to minimise the spread of COVID-19. These include handwashing, enhancing cleaning, ventilation and managing confirmed cases. Nurseries, schools and colleges should continue to conduct risk assessments and take appropriate action in line with the guidance.

If parents or carers are anxious about attendance, they should speak to the nursery, school or college about their concerns and discuss the measures that have been put in place to reduce the risk.

Testing remains important in reducing the risk of transmission of infection within nurseries, schools, colleges and universities to keep as many staff, pupils and students on site as possible. The Department has been delivering a programme of rapid asymptomatic testing for the primary school, secondary school, further education and higher education workforce and for pupils in Year 7 and above (or equivalent). Testing continued for all those on site over the summer and has resumed after the summer holidays, including two on site tests for all secondary pupils and college students.

From 9 April, all people in England have been able to access twice weekly rapid tests for COVID-19. Twice weekly rapid testing is a vital tool in helping to identify cases of COVID-19 that would otherwise not be found.