Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the COVID-19 Response: Autumn and Winter Plan 2021, published on 14 September 2021, and the statement that in the event that the data suggests the NHS is likely to come under unsustainable pressure, the Government has prepared a Plan B for England, if he will define the data that would indicate that the NHS is likely to come under unsustainable pressure.

If data suggests the NHS is likely to come under unsustainable pressure, the Government has prepared a Plan B for England. The Government hopes not to have to implement Plan B. However, given the uncertainty, the Government set out details in the Autumn and Winter Plan 2021 so that the public and businesses know what to expect if further measures become necessary.

The Government will remain vigilant and monitor the data closely, using a wide range of evidence, as we have done throughout the pandemic. This includes case numbers, hospital admissions and occupancy, deaths, the ratio of cases to hospitalisations, the rate of growth in cases and hospital admissions - particularly in the over 65s.