Robert Jenrick rules out review of lockdown fines for childcare-related travel amid Dominic Cummings row

Communities Secretary rows back on earlier pledge by Matt Hancock to weigh whether fines on travelling for childcare purposes during lockdown should be reviewed
David Child27 May 2020

Government minister Robert Jenrick has ruled out a review of fines for childcare-related travel amid the saga concerning Dominic Cummings' alleged breach of lockdown rules .

Speaking to the BBC's Breakfast programme on Wednesday, Mr Jenrick said it was "for the police to decide whether to impose fines under the law".

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary added that officers had received guidance from the Government and national police chiefs over the use of lockdown fines which allowed them a "degree of discretion to use their common sense".

Mr Jenrick said the guidance reflected "the fact that all of our circumstances are different and families, in particular, face particular challenges".

Mr Hancock made the pledge at the daily Downing Street coronavirus press briefing while responding to a string of questions over the ongoing row concerning Mr Cummings, who has admitted to driving from London to Durham with his wife and child at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown.

He was asked by Rev Martin Poole, from Brighton, whether the Government would "review all penalty fines imposed on families travelling for childcare purposes during lockdown".

In response, Mr Hancock vowed to give a “full answer” in writing and promised to make an announcement on the issue at a future press conference.

But within minutes of the press conference coming to an end, Downing Street sources briefed political reporters that there will be no review.

The developments have added to the furore engulfing Mr Cummings, who serves as Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior aide and recently laid out what happened during his trip north in March during a hastily-arranged press conference at the Downing Street rose garden on Monday.

Mr Cummings claimed he made the journey to be near relatives because he was worried at the time that he and his wife would not have been able to look after their child if they both fell ill with coronavirus.

But the Government's own guidance states people must stay at home if they or other members of their household develop Covid-19 symptoms and outlines means by which people can obtain food and medicine while in quarantine. However, it also acknowledges this may not be straightforward for parents.

It states: "If you have children, keep following this advice to the best of your ability, however, we are aware that not all these measures will be possible."

Commenting specifically on Mr Cummings' actions, Mr Jenrick told the BBC Mr Johnson's chief adviser didn't appear to have broken "any of the guidelines or the rules".

"The police haven’t chosen, as far as I’m aware, to impose a fine upon him, and so I think we have to leave it there.”​

He added the explanation given by Mr Cummings over his reasons for travelling to Durham was “reasonable” and said that it was time to "move on" from the scandal.

When asked if he believed Mr Cummings should resign amid mounting calls for Mr Johnson's top aide to stand down, or be sacked, Mr Jenrick replied: “No, he shouldn’t.

“He has given his explanation to the Prime Minister, who listened and concluded that he’d acted reasonably and legally."

Mr Cummings gave an explanation of his journey to Durham on Monday
Jeremy Selwyn

The pivot away from Mr Hancock's pledge prompted dismay from Rev Poole, however, who said he thought the police should look into Mr Cummings' actions.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “I took him (Mr Hancock) at his word that he would go away and have some discussions and that was really nice to hear. It’s a little disappointing to hear afterwards that they’ve rowed back on that a bit.

“What I want is honesty from Government all the time and if their response is they can’t review things or they don’t want to, I accept that they’ll say that.

“But I do feel that if there are people with children, who have been fined for doing that, then they’ll want some sort of recourse.”

Rev Martin Poole, from Brighton, asked whether the Government would 'review all penalty fines imposed on families travelling for childcare purposes during lockdown'
PA

Asked if he knew of any families who had been fined, he added: “I don’t know anyone who has, but I know plenty of people where both parents (are) sick with small children and have deliberately stayed in because that’s what they understood the rules to say.

“And I think, more widely, there’s just that feeling that there’s a different set of rules for those in leadership than there are for the rest of us.”

The latest figures available from the National Police Chiefs’ Council show a total of 14,244 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) were recorded by forces in England between March 27 and May 11, for breaches of the lockdown Health Protection Regulations.

It is not known how many, if any, fines have been handed to families travelling for childcare purposes.

At a briefing at the end of April, Hampshire Deputy Chief Constable Sara Glen said the “vast majority” had been handed to people out in public spaces without a reasonable excuse who had ignored officers’ instructions.

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