Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to allow family members to visit relatives in residential care homes; on what date will those visits be allowed to resume; and if he will publish updated guidance to support those visits.

On 22 July 2020 the Government published updated guidance on visiting arrangements for care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visiting-care-homes-during-coronavirus

Our priority has been to enable residents to be reunited safely with their loved ones. This guidance will be updated as the risk posed by COVID-19 continues to change.