FAMILIES that were fined for breaking lockdown rules had their hopes of a review dashed by cabinet minister Robert Jenrick.
The cabinet minister slapped down Health Secretary Matt Hancock who had suggested fines could be scrapped in the wake of the Dominic Cummings scandal, after being asked by Rev Martin Poole at the Downing Street press conference.
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Mr Jenrick said there would be no review adding: “It’s for the police to decide whether to impose fines under the law.”
Rev Poole said it was “a little disappointing” that the government had rowed back.
Mr Jenrick confirmed on Wednesday there will not be a review of UK lockdown fines for childcare-related travel.
He said: “No, there isn’t going to be a formal review. It’s for the police to decide whether to impose fines under the law.
“They have the guidance that we’ve provided and the national police chiefs have provided their own guidance, which does give officers a degree of discretion to use their common sense, reflecting the fact that all of our circumstances are different and families, in particular, face particular challenges.
“They are encouraging their officers to engage in the first instance, to explain and to resort to fines only where absolutely necessary and in most cases that is what’s happened.”
Mr Jenrick added: “Dominic Cummings didn’t break the guidelines, 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.”
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FINES FIGURES
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said a total of 14,244 fixed penalty notices were recorded by forces in England between March 27 and May 11, for breaches of the lockdown.
Downing Street said records of families being fined for breaches had not been recorded.
A No10 spokesman said: “We’re confident that the police will use their common sense, discretion and experience.
“They have been very clear that they will engage, explain and finally enforce. Fines are always used by the police as a last resort.
“The figures that are recorded by Acpo (Association of Chief Police Officers) on behalf of the police don’t provide a breakdown.”
Rev Poole said he thought the police should look into it and added: “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.
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“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.”
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said Rev Poole’s question needed an urgent answer from Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “It’s now been made incredibly difficult to police vital public health guidance, as this flip-flop over fines shows.”
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