Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people who are extremely clinically vulnerable are expected to return to work on 1 August 2020 if their employment routinely involves visiting other workplaces or residences.

All employers have been asked to work with the Government to ease the transition back to a more normal way of life for their clinically extremely vulnerable employees. Employers and employees should start having these conversations as early as possible before the guidance is changed on 1 August.

At this time, the Government does not advise clinically extremely vulnerable individuals to attend their place of work if this requires them to leave their home. From 1 August those shielding who are unable to work from home but can work on site, should do so, provided the business is COVID-safe. For those returning to work, employers should encourage staff to remain on-site and, when not possible, to maintain social distancing while off-site.