Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the changes to covid-19 restrictions, announced on 22 September 2020, whether the (a) national and (b) local lockdown restrictions allow (i) established long-term partners who do not live in the same household to see each other and (ii) long-term partners who live in different households to meet with people from other households.

Under the new gatherings limit of six people that applies nationally, individuals can meet anyone they want, whether they live with them on not.

Under the local restrictions that apply in parts of the country, individuals must not host or meet with people they do not live with in their home or garden, whether inside or outside of the affected area, unless they are in a support or childcare ‘bubble’. Individuals can still enter a home or garden for specific purposes set out in the regulations, which are available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/828/regulation/5