Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people who are shielding due to COVID-19 who will be (1) working from home, (2) returning to work outside their home, and (3) not able to work due to the nature of their job, on 1 August.

Those who have received a shielding patient letter remain in the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable category and should continue to follow the updated guidance for the clinically extremely vulnerable.

If incidence does not rise, from 1 August the Government will further relax advice to those shielding, bringing it in line with the advice to those who are clinically vulnerable. This means that if they are unable to work from home but can work on site, they should do so, provided the business is COVID-safe.

We have made no estimate of the numbers of people shielding who will be working from home, returning to work outside their home, and not able to work due to the nature of their job, on 1 August.