Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of having an open border with France on the COVID-19 R rate.

The scientific advice is that, when domestic transmission of COVID-19 is reduced, new health measures at the border are an important part of managing the risk of new cases entering the United Kingdom from abroad and contributing to a second peak of the virus. From 8 June, all passengers arriving in the UK without having travelled through another part of the Common Travel Area must provide their contact details and will be required to self-isolate for 14 days, apart from those who belong to an exempted group.

This approach aims to manage the risk of imported cases from abroad, whilst still allowing the UK to maintain essential supply chains and infrastructure and respect our international obligations.