Friends and family can help with childcare, says PM

The Prime Minister said "wraparound care" for school-age children and formal childcare arrangements will "restart over the summer" before he outlined his expectation of "full attendance" in primary and secondary education from September.

Speaking in the Commons, Conservative MP Miriam Cates (Penistone and Stocksbridge) also said: "Many workers and business owners are parents as well and they can't return to work until their children are back at school.

"So will (Mr Johnson) agree with me that for these businesses to recover we need all children back at school in September and can he also confirm that this announcement means that in the meantime people can start to ask friends and family for help with childcare?"

Mr Johnson replied: "Yes, it does mean that but we're also committed to getting all our schools back in September, and I do believe it will be possible if we stick to this plan, stick to the guidance to do it in a safe way."

The PM earlier joked he is "coping fine" with parenthood during lockdown after the birth of his son Wilfred in April.

Tory former minister Andrea Leadsom said: "In the last few weeks we've seen a real outpouring of love and kindness across our communities, across the country for our older citizens and that is quite right, but we haven't seen the same thing for our youngest citizens.

"So can the Prime Minister tell me what the Government is doing for those who have had a baby during lockdown or indeed are struggling to cope, as he might be, with the challenge of having a new baby and with so little face-to-face support?"

Mr Johnson replied: "I'm personally coping fine.

"But what we are doing, as she will have heard in my statement, is wraparound childcare is coming back for the summer and as she knows early years is open, reception is open."