Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment of the needs and rights of babies and young children aged 0-2 was made in decisions regarding local lockdown social interaction rules in (a) Leicestershire, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) the North East of England.

For each change in local restrictions, formal assessments are made through a Public Sector Equality Duty analysis, under section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010, and a National Health Service Act Duty and Family Test Assessment under the National Health Service Act 2006. These assessments respectively consider the potential equalities impacts on groups with protected characteristics as a result of restrictions and how proposed measures and changes in regulations impact on families. Both of these assessments include consideration of the needs and rights of babies and young children.