Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish their plans and preparations for any peak in COVID-19 infections during the winter period, including for any reasonable worst-case scenario.

Our collective understanding of the virus, and how it spreads, has vastly improved since the initial wave of infections. As a responsible government, we have been planning and continue to prepare for a wide range of scenarios, including the reasonable worst case scenario. In the coming months, we will continue to assess what the UK can learn from other nations, and carry out a series of exercises, to test the Government’s winter plans, including for a reasonable worst case scenario and to ensure effective coordination between departments and with the devolved administrations.

In May, we published the UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy. This was updated in July, including details on planning for the winter. Our planning assumptions and guidance are kept under review and amended as the scientific and medical advice develops.