'Where's your data?': Nick Ferrari grills Robert Jenrick over 10pm curfew

8 October 2020, 10:34

Nick Ferrari confronts Robert Jenrick over evidence for 10pm curfew

This is the moment Nick Ferrari confronted Robert Jenrick over the Government's 10pm hospitality curfew rule, asking the Housing Secretary if there's any data to support it.

The exchange on LBC took place amid mounting pressure on the Government to explain why the measure is still in place.

Since being implemented, the rule has hit an already struggling hospitality sector and has seen hundreds of people stumbling out of pubs and bars all at once to pack tubes, trains and buses across the country.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer this week at Prime Minister's Questions also called on Boris Johnson to publish the scientific data behind the restriction.

Nick Ferrari asked Mr Jenrick: "Where is the evidence that there is transmission in pubs or restaurants?

Nick Ferrari confronts Liz Truss over 10pm curfew

"They point to, regrettably, transmission places such as care homes. But it's very rare that those people will be in pubs. So why close pubs and restaurants? Where's your data?"

Mr Jenrick responded by stating that it's "commonsensical" that the virus will pass to other people in a quicker fashion if people spend longer periods of time interacting with others indoors.

He added: "So that was the thinking behind it. We obviously took advice from our scientific and medical advisers and they agreed with that common sense approach.

"It is an approach being adopted in many other European countries. In fact some have gone significantly further. There is evidence but we can't wait for the most detailed epidemiological evidence to be prepared because it's a very fast-moving situation."

"There is absolutely no evidence many infections occur in restaurants"

Nick later asked the Housing Secretary if the Government would publish the data behind the 10pm curfew.

"That's a decision for the Health Secretary and the Prime Minister," Mr Jenrick replied.

Elsewhere in the exchange, Mr Jenrick admitted that the Government has "not yet seen the results that it would have wanted" in many areas under local lockdown.

In total, at least 17 million people are currently facing additional restrictions in addition to their national rules across the UK, around a quarter of the population.