Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the evidential basis was for the decision to include Halton with the rest of the Liverpool City Region and Warrington as subject to additional covid-19 measures, announced on Friday 18 September 2020.

The Government makes decisions on local interventions through the Local Action Committee (GOLD) chaired by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, escalating to other Ministers and the Prime Minister as necessary. GOLD considers the latest data and advice from experts, including our epidemiologists and the Chief Medical Officer, but also consults local leaders and Directors of Public Health. We consider case rates, trends in the data and causes, but also local geography and an assessment of the local response and plans, before making judgements about whether restrictions are needed and if so, what restrictions are most appropriate.