Matt Hancock: We’re working on rules to let families spend Christmas together

Mr Hancock said MPs were working ‘to make Christmas as normal as possible’
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Matt Hancock sparked hopes for millions of families today, saying the Government was working on a plan for a “normal” Christmas.  

The Health Secretary said the Government was trying to draw up a set of rules with the devolved nations so people can see their families over the festive period.

It comes as the Government ended its 201-day “boycott” of Good Morning Britain with the minister undergoing a grilling from host Piers Morgan during which the TV host demanded his resignation.  

Mr Hancock told Sky News: “We are absolutely working to make Christmas as normal as possible.  

“In fact we are working with the devolved administrations to try to get a set of rules — set of arrangements — for Christmas that can work across the whole of the UK because so many people have family in different parts of the UK. The expansion of testing may be able to help deliver on that.”  

He also signalled hope for care home residents when asked if there was a chance people could see their relatives before Christmas. The Government has rolled out a testing pilot in care homes in Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall. He told BBC Breakfast: “Yes… I understand how important this is. And yes, our goal is to ensure that we have the testing available in every care home by Christmas — to make sure that people can take a test and therefore see their loved ones safely, that is the goal.

“We’re working closely with the social care sector to try to make that happen.”

It is not yet known if the care home policy will allow for people to have physical contact with their loved ones. The Standard understands that the pilot scheme will help inform any safety protocols.

Mr Hancock also clashed with GMB hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid after he became the first minister to take part in a formal interview on the ITV programme since April.  

The move suggested a new attitude towards the media from No 10 following the departure of Boris Johnson’s communications chief Lee Cain and senior adviser Dominic Cummings.  

Morgan told Mr Hancock: “Given  that we live in a democracy, where the hell have you all been for the last 201 days?”  

Mr Hancock replied: “It’s very nice to hear your voices again, Piers, Susanna… you asked me to come back as soon as diaries would allow and here I am. So very happy to answer any questions.”  

During the clash, Morgan laid out a “charge sheet” of government failures and called the testing policy a “complete shambles”.  

The presenter added: “So I put it to you, given that we now have over 50,000 deaths in this country which is the worst death toll in the whole of Europe. Why are you still Health Secretary and why haven’t you offered your resignation?”

Mr Hancock replied: “Well because we have been building the response to all of these enormous challenges of this unprecedented pandemic…”

Reid had earlier struggled to hold back tears on the show as she told the heartbreaking story of a mother who had been prevented from seeing her severely autistic son due to restrictions on care home visits.

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