Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to assess the impact of the easing of the lockdown on 1 June on the mental health and loneliness of those designated clinically vulnerable.

We are working with the National Health Service and Public Health England, service users, academics and the voluntary sector to gather evidence and assess the potential longer-term mental health impacts of COVID-19 and plan for how to support the public’s mental health and wellbeing throughout the ‘recovery’ phase.

At each review point for the social distancing measures, we will also review the risks for the clinical vulnerable and the clinically extremely vulnerable and assess whether the shielding period needs to be extended or whether it is possible for the shielding guidance to be eased further. We will base our assessment on clinical advice from our medical experts, and the best data available about the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.

The Government has also formed a new ‘Tackling Loneliness Network’ of charities, businesses and public figures to help connect groups at risk of isolation and bring together data and insights to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on loneliness